The first time humans ever came into contact with the hydrothermal vents was in 1977. This was the first time that humans managed to dive into the ocean deep enough to see the vents. Now there are many Scientific expeditions sent there in an effort to understand the various species that could manage to survive in such a harsh envoirnment with hardly any sunlight.
The Discovery of these vents influenced human thinking, and also caused humans to interact with and influence the Vents.
The discovery of these vents revolutionised Human thinking, because humans used to believe that everything needed sunlight to survive. Once the Vents were discovered, that theory was proved wrong. Surface animals may need sunlight to survive, but creatures that live near these vents perform Chemosynthesis, a process of converting chemicals to energy. This excited our curiousity and led us to dive deeper into the depths to try to gain more knowledge about the Vents and its creatures.
Unfortunately, the discovery of these vents also led people to realise that they can mine these superheated chimneys for energy. People are considering building an oil platform right above the vents and then they would build a tube that extends down to the vent. From there the fluid would be transported up into the oil platform and converted into energy for the masses of people on the Earth. This would be harmful to the animals that also depend on the Vent's heat and chemicals for survival. If humans follow through with this plan, then the animals that are so fascinating to us would soon die out because they would not have access to their much needed chemicals, starting with the bacteria, and working up the food chain. Without access to the vent's fluid, chemosynthesis would not be possible which is dangerous because that is the only way to produce food in an envoirnment without sunlight.
The Discovery of these vents influenced human thinking, and also caused humans to interact with and influence the Vents.
The discovery of these vents revolutionised Human thinking, because humans used to believe that everything needed sunlight to survive. Once the Vents were discovered, that theory was proved wrong. Surface animals may need sunlight to survive, but creatures that live near these vents perform Chemosynthesis, a process of converting chemicals to energy. This excited our curiousity and led us to dive deeper into the depths to try to gain more knowledge about the Vents and its creatures.
Unfortunately, the discovery of these vents also led people to realise that they can mine these superheated chimneys for energy. People are considering building an oil platform right above the vents and then they would build a tube that extends down to the vent. From there the fluid would be transported up into the oil platform and converted into energy for the masses of people on the Earth. This would be harmful to the animals that also depend on the Vent's heat and chemicals for survival. If humans follow through with this plan, then the animals that are so fascinating to us would soon die out because they would not have access to their much needed chemicals, starting with the bacteria, and working up the food chain. Without access to the vent's fluid, chemosynthesis would not be possible which is dangerous because that is the only way to produce food in an envoirnment without sunlight.
Other Human Influences would be purely scientific. Humans influence the animals that they take as specimens from the Vents. These animals are not used to the surface pressures, but the only way to record and confirm the discovery of a new species is through lab testing. Because of this cunundrum it is difficult for scientists to catalog and record new species in the Hydrothermal Vents. Scientists have developed new methods to try to ensure the survival of the specimens they take to the lab. They take the specimens and then they put them in a pressure chamber so that they won't die because of the sudden lack of pressure they need. It actually depends on whether the specimens taken are adults or babies. If the specimens are younger then they do not have as much of a problem because they are not pressure sensitive and would not be harmed like the adults would. The adult specimens have grown very accustomed to the intense pressures under which they live, so taking them from their habitats has to be done carefully, or else it would be detrimental to the well being of the specimen.
Furthermore, it seems, the use of sound devices to map the ocean floor has an impact on the species that live on the Vents.
People use sonar to map the geological surface of the seafloor. The sound hits the floor and bounces back, and based on how long it takes to return, the floor, and its features, are mapped.
These sound waves, though, might interfere with the communications and behaviors of fish and other animals that live on the vents. The sound waves might actually block or confuse their communications, (Some fish use sound to communicate with other fish that humans can't pick up because of the sound's low frequencies).
Other devices that people use to study the vents include Sensor Surveys, which are basically things like Temperature, and Imaging technology. The imaging technology would interfere with the behavior of the fish, or other animals that live on the vent. As you know, there is not light that reaches the vents, so the animals have adapted to a lightless envoirnment. The introduction of light could confuse, disorient, and temporarily blind them. It could blind them, because their eyes have developed to absorb as much light as possible, and if they are suddenly exposed to too much light, they would not be able to filter it as well as our eyes can.In addition to that, they use bioluminesence to confuse their predators, or to attract their prey. The introduction of light, no matter how temporary, would leave them exposed and vulnerable with these tactics rendered useless as well. The scientists are careful though. They try to keep the light frequencies as minimal as possible, and as dim as possible so that they won't disturb the lifeforms that live on the vents.
Scientists also use drilling to study the oceanic crust that help them understand the "behavior" of Hydrothermal Vents and how they are created. This drilling displaced the Shrimps and buried anenomes (a type of sea plant).(This drilling occured at the TAD vent). To try to keep this effects as limited as possible, the Science teams usually try to localise the driling to one spot so as not to disturb more plants and animals. Sometimes these Bore Holes result in the formation of new hydrothermal vents. Scientists observe these newly created man-made vents to see how life developes at the vents and how long the process takes and what is neccasary for it to develope.
Furthermore, it seems, the use of sound devices to map the ocean floor has an impact on the species that live on the Vents.
People use sonar to map the geological surface of the seafloor. The sound hits the floor and bounces back, and based on how long it takes to return, the floor, and its features, are mapped.
These sound waves, though, might interfere with the communications and behaviors of fish and other animals that live on the vents. The sound waves might actually block or confuse their communications, (Some fish use sound to communicate with other fish that humans can't pick up because of the sound's low frequencies).
Other devices that people use to study the vents include Sensor Surveys, which are basically things like Temperature, and Imaging technology. The imaging technology would interfere with the behavior of the fish, or other animals that live on the vent. As you know, there is not light that reaches the vents, so the animals have adapted to a lightless envoirnment. The introduction of light could confuse, disorient, and temporarily blind them. It could blind them, because their eyes have developed to absorb as much light as possible, and if they are suddenly exposed to too much light, they would not be able to filter it as well as our eyes can.In addition to that, they use bioluminesence to confuse their predators, or to attract their prey. The introduction of light, no matter how temporary, would leave them exposed and vulnerable with these tactics rendered useless as well. The scientists are careful though. They try to keep the light frequencies as minimal as possible, and as dim as possible so that they won't disturb the lifeforms that live on the vents.
Scientists also use drilling to study the oceanic crust that help them understand the "behavior" of Hydrothermal Vents and how they are created. This drilling displaced the Shrimps and buried anenomes (a type of sea plant).(This drilling occured at the TAD vent). To try to keep this effects as limited as possible, the Science teams usually try to localise the driling to one spot so as not to disturb more plants and animals. Sometimes these Bore Holes result in the formation of new hydrothermal vents. Scientists observe these newly created man-made vents to see how life developes at the vents and how long the process takes and what is neccasary for it to develope.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0141113614000506
Video on mining Hydrothermal Vent Iron Ore and Valuable MInerals.