Harmer, T. L.Rotjan, R. D.Nussbaumer, A. D.Bright, M.Ng, A. W.DeChaine, E. G.Cavanaugh, Colleen2015-04-032008Harmer, T. L., R. D. Rotjan, A. D. Nussbaumer, M. Bright, A. W. Ng, E. G. DeChaine, and C. M. Cavanaugh. 2008. “Free-Living Tube Worm Endosymbionts Found at Deep-Sea Vents.” Applied and Environmental Microbiology 74 (12) (April 11): 3895–3898. doi:10.1128/aem.02470-07.0099-2240http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:14368997Recent evidence suggests that deep-sea vestimentiferan tube worms acquire their endosymbiotic bacteria from the environment each generation; thus, free-living symbionts should exist. Here, free-living tube worm symbiont phylotypes were detected in vent seawater and in biofilms at multiple deep-sea vent habitats by PCR amplification, DNA sequence analysis, and fluorescence in situ hybridization. These findings support environmental transmission as a means of symbiont acquisition for deep-sea tube worms.en-USJournal Article2015-04-0310.1128/AEM.02470-07