WOD Artist at Sea Catalog - Flipbook - Page 5
ELENA ALONSO FERNANDEZ
Inactive Vent, 2023
Oil and acrylic on canvas
59" x 43"
While hydrothermal vents have received much attention since their discovery in the 1970s, inactive
vents have long remained relatively unexplored. Through ongoing expeditions, science and art
communities are dedicated to exploring both active and inactive vent sites, emphasizing the importance
of inactive vents as potential havens for unique biodiversity, including bacteria that may hold
signi昀椀cant prospects for pharmaceutical research. Alonso Fernandez’s painting captures the humble yet
special beauty of these deep-sea ecosystems.
Elena Alonso Fernandez sailed on R/V Falkor (too) November 2023 on the Ultra Fine-Scale Sea昀氀oor
Mapping expedition in the Galapagos Marine Reserve, Ecuador.
For more information or to purchase work visit elenaalonsofernandez.com.
