an individual site may last only 10 years or so --
as an ecosystem they've been stable for millions -- well, billions -- of years.
DG: It works too well. You see there're some fish inside here as well.
There's a fish sitting here.
Here's a crab with his claw right at the end of that tube worm,
waiting for that worm to stick his head out.
(Laughter)
BL: The biologists right now cannot explain
why these animals are so active.
The worms are growing inches per week!
DG: I already said that this site,
from a human perspective, is toxic as hell.
Not only that, but on top -- the lifeblood --
that plumbing system turns off every year or so.
Their plumbing system turns off, so the sites have to move.
And then there's earthquakes,
and then volcanic eruptions, on the order of one every five years,
that completely wipes the area out.
Despite that, these animals grow back in about a year's time.
You're talking about biodensities and biodiversity, again,
higher than the rainforest that just springs back to life.