Some marine bacteria collected around deep-sea hydrothermal vents are able to produce, in laboratory conditions, complex and innovative exopolysaccharides. In a previous study, the mesophilic strain Alteromonas macleodii subsp. fijiensis biovar deepsane was collected on the East Pacific Rise at 2600m depth. It was isolated from a polychaete annelid Alvinella pompejana and is able to synthesise and excrete the exopolysaccharide deepsane. Biological activities have been screened and some protective properties have been established. Deepsane is commercially available in cosmetics under the name of Abyssine (R) for soothing and reducing irritation of sensitive skin against chemical, mechanical and UVB aggression. This study presents structural data for this original and complex bacterial exopolysaccharide and highlights some structural similarities with other known EPS produced by marine Alteromonas strains. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.