An expedition partially funded by NASA’s ASTEP program has discovered the deepest known hydrothermal vent in the world, 5000 meters below the Caribbean Sea. The vent was discovered while exploring the 110-kilometer-long Mid-Cayman Rise, an ultra-slow spreading ridge located in the Caribbean’s deepest point. The research will help extend our understanding of the limits of life on Earth and help prepare for future efforts to search for life on other planets.