A mile and a half beneath the sea off the Pacific Northwest
coast, a volcanic ridge has given birth to towering structures
that spew toxic, superheated water. The structures, known as
black smoker chimneys, are home to bizarre life forms that
thrive far beyond the reach of the sun's light. Follow the
daring attempt of an ambitious expedition to retrieve several
of these black smokers from the seafloor, as chronicled on
this Web site and in the NOVA program "Volcanoes of the Deep."
(Note: the real-time component of this site occurred in June
and July 1998.)