Characterization of vent fauna at the Mid-Cayman Spreading Center

Plouviez, Sophie; Jacobson, Alixandra; Wu, Mengyou; Dover, Cindy Lee Van

doi:10.1016/j.dsr.2014.11.011

Cited by 35 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 73 publications

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“…Pachycara caribbaeum, a zoarcid present in large numbers at every site at El Pilar, has also been described from these sites as well as an additional Caribbean site recently (Anderson et al, 2016). Morphospecies richness within our surveys appears to be high (83 morphospecies) relative to other chemosynthetic habitats in the region e.g., 32 morphospecies were observed at the Cayman vent fields (Plouviez et al, 2015). Species richness in this area remains undersampled indicating that more data are required to better understand how these diverse assemblages will be impacted by oil and gas exploration and exploitation.…”

Section: Ecology Of the Communitiesmentioning

confidence: 50%

“…A. cf. muricola may also co-occur but further investigations need to be undertaken (Plouviez et al, 2015). The overlap with Von Damm vent field but not Beebe vent field, which is also in the MCSC, is likely due to the similar sedimented and shallow nature of the Von Damm vent field when compared with the Beebe vent field (4,960 m).…”

Section: Biogeographical Comparisons With In the Regionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…There is also faunal overlap between El Pilar, Orenoque A and Kick'em Jenny with the Von Damm vent field in the Mid-Cayman Spreading Centre (MCSC) despite an approximate distance of 2,000 km: Lamellibrachia sp. 2 (genetically identical -100%), B. childressi and Pachycara caribbaeum (Connelly et al, 2012;Plouviez et al, 2015;Anderson et al, 2016). A. cf.…”

Section: Biogeographical Comparisons With In the Regionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Characterization of Methane-Seep Communities in a Deep-Sea Area Designated for Oil and Natural Gas Exploitation Off Trinidad and Tobago

et al. 2017

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Exploration of the deep ocean (>200 m) is taking on added importance as human development encroaches. Despite increasing oil and natural gas exploration and exploitation, the deep ocean of Trinidad and Tobago is almost entirely unknown. The only scientific team to image the deep seafloor within the Trinidad and Tobago Exclusive Economic Zone was from IFREMER in the 1980s. That exploration led to the discovery of the El Pilar methane seeps and associated chemosynthetic communities on the accretionary prism to the east of Trinidad and Tobago. In 2014, the E/V Nautilus, in collaboration with local scientists, visited two previously sampled as well as two unexplored areas of the El Pilar site between 998 and 1,629 m depth using remotely operated vehicles. Eighty-three megafaunal morphospecies from extensive chemosynthetic communities surrounding active methane seepage were observed at four sites. These communities were dominated by megafaunal invertebrates including mussels (Bathymodiolus childressi), shrimp (Alvinocaris cf. muricola), Lamellibrachia sp. 2 tubeworms, and Pachycara caribbaeum. Adjacent to areas of active seepage was an ecotone of suspension feeders including Haplosclerida sponges, stylasterids and Neovermilia serpulids on authigenic carbonates. Beyond this were large Bathymodiolus shell middens. Finally there was either a zone of sparse octocorals and other nonchemosynthetic species likely benefiting from the carbonate substratum and enriched production within the seep habitat, or sedimented inactive areas. This paper highlights these ecologically significant areas and increases the knowledge of the biodiversity of the Trinidad and Tobago deep ocean. Because methane seepage and chemosynthetic communities are related to the presence of extractable oil and gas resources, development of best practices for the conservation of biodiversity in Trinidad and Tobago waters within the context of energy extraction is critical. Potential impacts on benthic communities during oil and gas activities will likely be long lasting and include physical disturbance during drilling among others. Recommendations for the stewardship of Amon et al.Seep Communities Off Trinidad and Tobago these widespread habitats include: (1) seeking international cooperation; (2) holding wider stakeholder discussions; (3) adopting stringent environmental regulations; and (4) increasing deep-sea research to gather crucial baseline data in order to conduct appropriate marine spatial planning with the creation of marine protected areas.

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Section: Ecology Of the Communitiesmentioning

confidence: 50%

Section: Biogeographical Comparisons With In the Regionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Section: Biogeographical Comparisons With In the Regionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Characterization of Methane-Seep Communities in a Deep-Sea Area Designated for Oil and Natural Gas Exploitation Off Trinidad and Tobago

et al. 2017

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“…In addition, within Von Damm, there were a number of vents that looked extremely different from Piccard and other vents at Von Damm, such as Shrimp Hole, where the microbial composition was similar to those observed in cold seep sediments. Shrimp Hole is the only location at Von Damm where live tube worms were seen (Plouviez et al, 2015), and both genera of tube worms found (Escarpia and Lamellibrachia) have been reported in sedimented hot vents and cold methane seeps (Black et al, 1997). At Shrimp Hole, the archaeal population was dominated by sequences related to the unknown Methanosarcinales GOM Arc I group, previously described from sediments overlying a hypersaline methane seep in the Gulf of Mexico (Lloyd et al, 2006).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Subseafloor microbial communities in hydrogen‐rich vent fluids from hydrothermal systems along the Mid‐Cayman Rise

Réveillaud

Reddington

McDermott

et al. 2016

Environmental Microbiology

123

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SummaryWarm fluids emanating from hydrothermal vents can be used as windows into the rocky subseafloor habitat and its resident microbial community. Two new vent systems on the Mid‐Cayman Rise each exhibits novel geologic settings and distinctively hydrogen‐rich vent fluid compositions. We have determined and compared the chemistry, potential energy yielding reactions, abundance, community composition, diversity, and function of microbes in venting fluids from both sites: Piccard, the world's deepest vent site, hosted in mafic rocks; and Von Damm, an adjacent, ultramafic‐influenced system. Von Damm hosted a wider diversity of lineages and metabolisms in comparison to Piccard, consistent with thermodynamic models that predict more numerous energy sources at ultramafic systems. There was little overlap in the phylotypes found at each site, although similar and dominant hydrogen‐utilizing genera were present at both. Despite the differences in community structure, depth, geology, and fluid chemistry, energetic modelling and metagenomic analysis indicate near functional equivalence between Von Damm and Piccard, likely driven by the high hydrogen concentrations and elevated temperatures at both sites. Results are compared with hydrothermal sites worldwide to provide a global perspective on the distinctiveness of these newly discovered sites and the interplay among rocks, fluid composition and life in the subseafloor.

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“…For example, Young et al (2008) found a general southward pattern of migration along the northeast Pacific system, and larger effective population sizes of the siboglinid tubeworm Ridgeia piscesae in the southern populations compared to those in the north. Coalescent approaches have also been implemented to measure long-term migration rates in mollusk and polychaete species along the EPR (Plouviez et al, 2009(Plouviez et al, , 2010(Plouviez et al, , 2013, crustacean and mollusk species in the Indian Ocean ridges (Thaler et al, 2011;Beedessee et al, 2013;Chen et al, 2015), alvinocaridid shrimp from the MidCayman Spreading Center (Plouviez et al, 2015) and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (Teixeira et al, 2012(Teixeira et al, , 2013. Despite the evident advantages of coalescent approaches over traditional Fstatistics, the migration estimates obtained through many of these approaches are considered long-term because of necessary equilibrium assumptions over the last ∼4N e generations (i.e., average time to coalescence).…”

Section: Genetic Approaches To Metacommunity Dynamics On Ecological Tmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the Ecology of Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents in a Metacommunity Framework

et al. 2018

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Species inhabiting deep-sea hydrothermal vents are strongly influenced by the geological setting, as it provides the chemical-rich fluids supporting the food web, creates the patchwork of seafloor habitat, and generates catastrophic disturbances that can eradicate entire communities. The patches of vent habitat host a network of communities (a metacommunity) connected by dispersal of planktonic larvae. The dynamics of the metacommunity are influenced not only by birth rates, death rates and interactions of populations at the local site, but also by regional influences on dispersal from different sites. The connections to other communities provide a mechanism for dynamics at a local site to affect features of the regional biota. In this paper, we explore the challenges and potential benefits of applying metacommunity theory to vent communities, with a particular focus on effects of disturbance. We synthesize field observations to inform models and identify data gaps that need to be addressed to answer key questions including: (1) what is the influence of the magnitude and rate of disturbance on ecological attributes, such as time to extinction or resilience in a metacommunity; (2) what interactions between local and regional processes control species diversity, and (3) which communities are "hot spots" of key ecological significance. We conclude by assessing our ability to evaluate resilience of vent metacommunities to human disturbance (e.g., deep-sea mining). Although the resilience of a few highly disturbed vent systems in the eastern Pacific has been quantified, these values cannot be generalized to remote locales in the western Pacific or mid Atlantic where disturbance rates are different and information on local controls is missing.

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Characterization of vent fauna at the Mid-Cayman Spreading Center

Cited by 35 publications

References 73 publications

Characterization of Methane-Seep Communities in a Deep-Sea Area Designated for Oil and Natural Gas Exploitation Off Trinidad and Tobago

Characterization of Methane-Seep Communities in a Deep-Sea Area Designated for Oil and Natural Gas Exploitation Off Trinidad and Tobago

Subseafloor microbial communities in hydrogen‐rich vent fluids from hydrothermal systems along the Mid‐Cayman Rise

Exploring the Ecology of Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents in a Metacommunity Framework

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