There is evidence that vent organisms play a role in the geologic formation of vent chimneys and structures. This role is largely unknown, and is difficult to determine without in situ observation. Atlantis II provides the opportunity for such observation.

Vent systems are important in understanding the formation of the Earth’s crust, the composition of the world’s oceans, and possibly the evolution of life. To fully understand the formation and functioning of these systems, it is necessary to know the components of that formation; there is evidence that living organisms and their remains are important components. This is a difficult phenomena to observe, and yields few immediately applicable results. However, the knowledge its investigation may provide is important to a complete understanding to the hydrothermal vent system. Its study is dependent on the observance of a forming vent structure; therefore Atlantis II will be ready to observe this phenomenon whenever it occurs. However, because of this experiment's low priority, detailed analysis of the data gathered from the observations may be postponed until other more-critical preliminary research has been completed.

Most observation of biogeological mineralization will occur using the fixed imaging sensors used in documenting the development of the vent community and the imaging devices on EVE, Tug, and Superman. Samples of newly formed vent structures will be taken using the same robotics, and will be analyzed for biological content in the laboratory. The data gained from these observations will be compared with the fossil evidence of biogeological mineralization at other vent sites, and with similar evidence, if found, from the Edmond vent site.

Cook, Terri L., Stakes, Debra S. 1995 Biogeological Mineralization in Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Deposits. Science 267, 1975-1979.