Cold seep communities in the deep eastern Mediterranean Sea: composition, symbiosis and spatial distribution on mud volcanoes

Olu, Karine; Sibuet, Myriam; Fiala-Médioni, Aline; Gofas, Serge; Salas, Carmen; Mariotti, André; Foucher, Jean-Paul; Woodside, John

doi:10.1016/j.dsr.2004.07.004

Cited by 208 publications

(96 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…There do not appear to have been any major changes at "Dome 1" and "Dome 2" during the last 30 years: both sites continue to have active seepage and thus have similar faunal assemblages dominated by Bathymodiolus mussels (Jollivet et al, 1990;Olu et al, 1996). The five major habitats observed reemphasises that seeps are patchy areas with conspicuous zonation of the dominant taxa and demonstrates that there are expanded footprints beyond the source of seepage (Olu-LeRoy et al, 2004;Levin et al, 2016). The majority of species found closest to the areas of seepage in mussel beds benefit from chemosynthetic nutrition.…”

Section: Ecology Of the Communitiesmentioning

confidence: 89%

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: 89%

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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“…The presence of mud volcanoes is associated with the presence of high seafloor methane fluxes as well as with the accompanying cold vents, seeps (Charlou et al, 2003), carbonate crusts (Aloïsi et al, 2002) and gas hydrates under certain conditions. Therefore, they play an important role in scientific issues such as sediment stability, climate and environmental studies, and the interplay between microbial life and fluid seepage (Olu et al, 2004). Physical properties of marine sediments are important variables in order to understand geological events in marine environments and they play an important role in determining the nature of fluid and gas migration, which in turn affects the nature of microbial communities and gas hydrate formation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physical properties and their relationship to sedimentary processes and texture in sediments from mud volcanoes in the Anaximander Mountains (Eastern Mediterranean)

Casas¹,

Ercilla²,

Lykousis³

et al. 2006

Sci. Mar.

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SUMMARY: This research focuses on the mud volcanoes Amsterdam, Kazan and Kula located in the Anaximander Mountains (SW Turkey continental margin), which are characterized by the presence of sediments containing gas and gas hydrate. These mud volcanoes were sampled by recovering four gravity cores. For sediment located right on top (crater or active part of the summit) of the mud volcanoes, the physical properties are controlled by lithology and mud volcanic processes rather than the degree of compaction. This could suggest the possibility of current mud volcanic activity. In contrast, the sediment located in the external flank of Kula mud volcano displays physical properties mostly related to consolidation effects and to the type of sediment at a detailed scale, as occurs typically in deep-sea fine grained sediments. This suggests a restricted influence of mud volcanic processes.Keywords: Anaximander, mud volcano, physical properties, sediment texture, index property, gas. RESUMEN: RELACIONES ENTRE LAS PROPIEDADES FÍSICAS, PROCESOS SEDIMENTARIOS Y TEXTURA EN SEDIMENTOS DE LOS VOL-CANES DE FANGO EN LAS MONTAÑAS ANAXIMANDER (MEDITERRÁNEO ORIENTAL). -Este trabajo se centra en el estudio de sedimentos procedentes de los volcanes de fango Ámsterdam, Kazan y Kula localizados en las montañas submarinas Anaximander (SO del margen continental de Turquía), caracterizados por la presencia de sedimentos que contienen gas e hidratos de gas. Estos volcanes de fango se muestrearon con cuatro testigos de gravedad. En los sedimentos localizados en los cráteres (o en las cimas activas) de los volcanes de fango, las propiedades físicas están básicamente controladas por la litología y procesos volcánicos. Esto sugiere un actividad volcánica reciente. Por el contrario, el sedimento localizado en el flanco externo de Kula presenta unas propiedades físicas básicamente relacionadas con el efecto de consolidación y, a escala de detalle, con el tipo de sedimento como ocurre en general en sedimentos marinos profundos. Esto sugiere una influencia restringida de los procesos volcánicos.

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“…m -2 (Southward 1979). Presence of small-sized monoliferan tubeworms -similar to frenulates but comprising only 1 genus, Sclerolinum -was reported at hydrothermal vents (Sahling et al 2005), mud volcanoes in the eastern Mediterranean Sea (Olu-LeRoy et al 2004) and the Håkon Mosby mud volcano (S. contortum, Smirnov 2000, Gebruk et al 2003.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seabed methane emissions and the habitat of frenulate tubeworms on the Captain Arutyunov mud volcano (Gulf of Cadiz)

Sommer¹,

Линке²,

Pfannkuche³

et al. 2009

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Submarine mud volcanism represents an important pathway for methane from deeper reservoirs to the surface, where it enters the benthic carbon cycle. To quantify overall methane release from the Captain Arutyunov mud volcano (CAMV) and to assess the contribution of macrobenthic seep organisms to the regulation of the benthic methane flux, we linked water column methane concentrations, seabed methane emission and pore water geochemistry to the spatial distribution of seep biota. Prominent organisms of the CAMV seep biota were 3 different species of frenulate tubeworms. Seabed methane emission ranged from 0.001 to 0.66 mmol m -2 d -1. Dense patches of tubeworms were associated with the lowest seabed methane emission. Elevated methane emission was associated with a sporadic distribution of tubeworms and the occurrence of numerous mud clasts. Despite the presence of a large subsurface methane reservoir, the estimated total methane release from CAMV was low (0.006 × 10 6 mol yr -1). In addition to direct methane consumption by Siboglinum poseidoni, the tubeworms likely contribute to the retention of methane carbon in the sediment by affecting bacterial communities in the proximity of the tubes. The siboglinids create new meso-scale habitats on the sediment surface, increasing habitat heterogeneity and introducing niches for bacterial communities.

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Cold seep communities in the deep eastern Mediterranean Sea: composition, symbiosis and spatial distribution on mud volcanoes

Cited by 208 publications

References 56 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

Physical properties and their relationship to sedimentary processes and texture in sediments from mud volcanoes in the Anaximander Mountains (Eastern Mediterranean)

Seabed methane emissions and the habitat of frenulate tubeworms on the Captain Arutyunov mud volcano (Gulf of Cadiz)

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