Are vent shrimps blinded by science?

The exploration of deep-sea hydrothermal vents has depended on the use of manned submersibles, which are invariably equipped with high-intensity floodlights. But the eyes of many deep-sea crustaceans, which are exquisitely adapted for the dim conditions at such depths, can suffer permanent retinal damage as a result. We suggest that the use of floodlights has irretrievably damaged the eyes of many of the decapod shrimps (family Bresiliidae) that dominate the fauna at vents on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge