About Hydrothermal Haven

Build a vent ecosystem from microbes to predators in this free online deep sea ecology game about hydrothermal food webs.

Hydrothermal Haven is a free online deep sea game where you manage a hydrothermal vent ecosystem, channeling sulfide plumes and shielding tubeworms from eruptions. This marine biology game simulates the only ecosystem on Earth that runs without sunlight.

Vent communities are powered by chemosynthesis. Bacteria oxidize hydrogen sulfide billowing from black smokers to fix carbon, replacing the photosynthesis that supports every surface food web. Giant tubeworms harbor those bacteria inside their bodies and trade shelter for sugar, one of the strangest symbioses in biology.

The pressure you manage is literal and figurative. Vent fields cycle between toxic plume exposure and starvation as chemistry shifts and eruptions reset entire communities. Studying these extremophile ecosystems reshaped the search for life on ocean worlds like Europa and Enceladus, where chemosynthesis could work with no sun at all.

Key Science Concepts

• Chemosynthesis versus photosynthesis
• Hydrothermal vent geology
• Tubeworm-bacteria symbiosis
• Extremophile metabolism
• Chemotrophic food webs
• Astrobiology implications

What You'll Learn

• Explain how life runs on chemical energy without light
• Describe the tubeworm symbiosis with sulfur bacteria
• Identify abiotic stressors shaping vent communities
• Connect vent biology to extraterrestrial life hypotheses

Grade Level: Middle School, High School

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How to play

1. Block Hazards Steer your probe to deflect falling volcanic rocks and abyssal chills before they crush the tubeworms.
2. Feed the Colony Catch golden sulfur crystals and vent shrimp. Each pickup beams healing nutrients down to the tubeworms.
3. Geyser Blast Filling your power bar unlocks Geothermal Shockwaves. Press Space or tap button to obliterate hazards.

Frequently asked questions

Is Hydrothermal Haven free to play?

Yes. Hydrothermal Haven is completely free to play in your browser. There is no download, install or account needed.

What grade level is Hydrothermal Haven for?

Hydrothermal Haven is designed for Middle School, High School students and works well as a classroom activity or homework.

Does Hydrothermal Haven work on phones and tablets?

Yes. Hydrothermal Haven runs in any modern browser on desktop computers, Chromebooks, tablets and phones in landscape mode.

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