One of the more severe locations for life to exist is near fissures in the ocean floor where very hot water loaded with dissolved chemicals is forced upward through vents. These are commonly termed "Black Smokers" due to the dark color imparted to the water from the minerals dissolved and suspended in the water. The very existence of life around these thermal vents and the interesting chemistry of these organisms caused interest among biologists and geologists.
You will find information and pictures of these thermal vents in the following sites. The discovery of these thermal vents and the life around them is recent, much of the information about the organisms is still being researched.
Background information:
Pictures and Videos of Thermal Vents (Black Smokers)
Thermal vents are proposed to have supported the development of some of the earliest organisms [local].
