9 North

9 North, or Nine North, is a region of hydrothermal vents on the East Pacific Rise in the Pacific Ocean, 900 kilometers off the coast of Acapulco, Mexico; it has been so named by scientists because its latitude is 9°50' N.[1] It was first seen to erupt in 1991 by the deep submersible Alvin during a survey for the Ocean Drilling Program.[2] In November 1999, scientists, students, education specialists, and film crews returned to 9 North to see how the biology and landscape had changed over time. IMAX, National Geographic, and BBC film crews have made videos about the vents at 9 North, most noticeably Volcanoes of the Deep Sea.[3]

BBC Planet Earth series from 2006 reported that 9 North either extinguished or became inactive during the period that BBC was creating the series. All previously extant forms of life- crustaceans (shrimps, crabs) and tube worms- were observed to have disappeared (either died, or left the site), perhaps signalling the extinction of lifeforms unique to these particular vents.

References
  1. Qiu, Jane (20 May 2010). "Oceanography: Death and rebirth in the deep". Nature. 465 (7296): 284–286. doi:10.1038/465284a. PMID 20485410.
  2. Lutz, Richard; Shank, Timothy; Evans, Robert. "Life After Death in the Deep Sea". American Scientist. 89 (5): 422. Bibcode:2001AmSci..89..422L. doi:10.1511/2001.5.422.
  3. "9 Degrees North". Marine Advanced Technology Education Center. Archived from the original on 3 January 2015. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
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