A habitat on the deep seafloor where cold fluids seep from the rocks. These fluids contain chemicals (sulfides and/or methane) that bacteria use as their energy source. Cold seep habitats support communities of animals that rely upon this bacteria for food, and are therefore part of a food web based on chemicals instead of sunlight.
A cold seep (sometimes called a cold vent) is an area of the ocean floor where hydrogen sulfide, methane and other hydrocarbon-rich fluid seepage occurs. Cold seeps are distinct from hydrothermal vents: the former's emissions are of the same temperature as the surrounding seawater, whereas the latter's emissions are super-heated. Cold seeps constitute a biome supporting several endemic species.