Definition: The marine hydrothermal vent biome comprises regions of the marine benthic biome where heat generated due to tectonic activity, either at divergent plate boundaries or convergent ocean plates where back-arc spreading occurs, is released or 'vented' to the surface. The resultant high temperature water jets are laden with dissolved metals and minerals.
Definition: A seep is a spring in which water has filtered through permeable earth to the surface. [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_(hydrology) ]
