Tiny krill are turning up in deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Scientists want to know why

Antarctic krill, a shrimp-like crustacean that holds up the food web at the South Pole, were found at a hydrothermal vent off the Antarctic Peninsula during the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Southern Ocean Expedition in collaboration with the Schmidt Ocean Institute.

Antarctic krill serve as a crucial food source for penguins, seals, and whales. They recycle nutrients used by algae. Now researchers say they’ve found krill in a surprising place: hydrothermal vents.