In brief

Abstract

When you hear the phrase ‘rose garden’, you probably – and not unreasonably – think of a garden with roses. However, the Rose Garden of the Galapagos Islands is about as far from that interpretation as you can get because it refers to a community associated with a hydrothermal vent on the ocean floor. As if that is not weird enough, investigation of the area suggests that the original garden has now been paved over by the outpourings of a recent volcanic eruption. However, a new community appears to be flourishing there, and has been named ‘Rosebud’. [http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/news/02/tip020612.htm] NC