Journal ArticleDOI
Blake Ridge methane seeps: characterization of a soft-sediment, chemosynthetically based ecosystem
C. L. Van Dover,Paul Aharon,Joan M. Bernhard,E. Caylor,M.B. Doerries,W. B. Flickinger,William P. Gilhooly,Shana K. Goffredi,Kathleen E. Knick,Stephen A. Macko,S. Rapoport,E.C. Raulfs,Carolyn D. Ruppel,Jennifer L. Salerno,Rochelle D. Seitz,B.K. Sen Gupta,Timothy M. Shank,Mary Turnipseed,Robert C. Vrijenhoek +18 more
TLDR
In this article, the first submersible reconnaissance of the Blake Ridge Diapir provides the geological and ecological contexts for chemosynthetic communities established in close association with methane seeps.Abstract:
Observations from the first submersible reconnaissance of the Blake Ridge Diapir provide the geological and ecological contexts for chemosynthetic communities established in close association with methane seeps. The seeps mark the loci of focused venting of methane from the gas hydrate reservoir, and, in one location (Hole 996D of the Ocean Drilling Program), methane emitted at the seafloor was observed forming gas hydrate on the underside of a carbonate overhang. Megafaunal elements of a chemosynthetically based community mapped onto dive tracks provide a preliminary overview of faunal distributions and habitat heterogeneity. Dense mussel beds were prominent and covered 20 � 20 m areas. The nearly non-overlapping distributions of mussels and clams indicate that there may be local (meter-scale) variations in fluid flux and chemistry within the seep site. Preliminary evidence suggests that the mussels are host to two symbiont types (sulfide-oxidizing thiotrophs and methanotrophs), while the clams derive their nutrition only from thiotrophic bacteria. Invertebrate biomass is dominated by mussels (Bathymodiolus heckerae) that reach lengths of up to 364 mm and, to a lesser extent, by small (22 mm length) vesicomyid clams (Vesicomya cf. venusta). Taking into account biomass distributions among taxa, symbiont characteristics of the bivalves, and stable-isotope analyses, the relative importance of methanotrophic vs thiotrophic bacteria in the overall nutrition of the invertebrateread more
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Book ChapterDOI
Ecology of cold seep sediments: interactions of fauna with flow, chemistry and microbes
TL;DR: This review examines the structures of animal communities in seep sediments and how they are shaped by hydrologic, geochemical and microbial processes, focusing on the mid-size sediment-dwelling infauna (foraminiferans, metazoan meiofauna and macrofauna), which have received less attention than megafauna or microbes.
Journal ArticleDOI
Hydrothermal Vents and Methane Seeps: Rethinking the Sphere of Influence
Lisa A. Levin,Amy R. Baco,David A. Bowden,Ana Colaço,Erik E. Cordes,Marina R. Cunha,Amanda W.J. Demopoulos,Judith Gobin,Benjamin M. Grupe,Jennifer T. Le,Anna Metaxas,Amanda N. Netburn,Greg W. Rouse,Andrew R. Thurber,Verena Tunnicliffe,Cindy Lee Van Dover,Ann Vanreusel,Les Watling +17 more
TL;DR: In this article, the authors synthesize current knowledge of the nature, extent and time and space scales of vent and seep interactions with background systems, and document an expanded footprint beyond the site of local venting or seepage with respect to elemental cycling and energy flux, habitat use, trophic interactions, and connectivity.
Journal ArticleDOI
Mining of deep-sea seafloor massive sulfides: A review of the deposits, their benthic communities, impacts from mining, regulatory frameworks and management strategies
Rachel E. Boschen,Rachel E. Boschen,Ashley A. Rowden,Malcolm R. Clark,Jonathan P. A. Gardner +4 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors assess the potential impact of massive sulfide mining on the benthic fauna, and propose mitigation strategies to minimize the impact of mining activities, focusing on facilitating recolonisation of areas impacted by mining, spatial management with open and closed areas and reducing the effects of sediment plumes from mining activity.
Journal ArticleDOI
Stratigraphy, Sedimentary Structures, and Textures of the Late Neoproterozoic Doushantuo Cap Carbonate in South China
TL;DR: The 3 to 5mthick Doushantuo cap carbonate in south China overlies the glaciogenic Nantuo Formation (ca. 635 Ma) and consists of laterally persistent, thinly laminated and normally graded dolomite and limestone indicative of relatively deep-water deposition, most likely below storm wave base as discussed by the authors.
Journal ArticleDOI
Spatial heterogeneity of macrofauna at northern California methane seeps: influence of sulfide concentration and fluid flow
Lisa A. Levin,Wiebke Ziebis,Guillermo Mendoza,Valerie A. Growney,Michael D. Tryon,Kevin M. Brown,Chris Mahn,Joris M. Gieskes,Anthony E. Rathburn +8 more
TL;DR: Horizontal and vertical patterns of sulfide availability have a strong influence on the fine-scale distribution, structure and composition of macrofaunal assem- blages inhabiting methane seeps and must be accounted for when characterizing the microbiology and ecology of seep habitats.
References
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Book ChapterDOI
δ13C Measurements as Indicators of Carbon Flow in Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems
B. Fry,E. B. Sherr +1 more
TL;DR: Stable isotope ratios provide clues about the origins and transformations of organic matter and have been used as a tool for understanding complex ecological processes as mentioned in this paper, which has prompted increasing use of stable isotope analyses as a method to understand complex biological processes.
BookDOI
Stable isotopes in ecology and environmental science
Robert H. Michener,Kate Lajtha +1 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present an overview of the use of stable isotopes in watershed hydrology and their application in agricultural and urban watersheds, as well as in marine ecosystems.
Book
The Ecology of Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents
TL;DR: The book concludes by exploring the possibility that life originated at hydrothermal vents, a hypothesis that has had tremendous impact on ideas about the potential for life on other planets or planetary bodies in the authors' solar system.
Journal ArticleDOI
Biogeography, biodiversity and fluid dependence of deep-sea cold-seep communities at active and passive margins
Myriam Sibuet,Karine Olu +1 more
TL;DR: The geographic distribution of seeps, the variations of origin and composition of fluids, and rates of fluid flow are presented as they are important factors which explain the spatial heterogeneity and the biomass of biological communities.
Related Papers (5)
Biogeography, biodiversity and fluid dependence of deep-sea cold-seep communities at active and passive margins
Myriam Sibuet,Karine Olu +1 more