Metal concentrations and metallothionein-like protein levels in deep-sea fishes captured near hydrothermal vents in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge off Azores

The knowledge of metal contamination in deep-sea fishes living in the surroundings of hydrothermal vents is very scarce, along with the detoxification mechanisms that allow them to live near one of the most metal contaminated marine environments. Six deep-sea fish species, although not vent endemic were collected near three Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) hydrothermal vents (Menez Gwen, Lucky Strike and Rainbow) and the gills, muscle and liver were selected for this study due to their importance in metal metabolism and storage. The concentrations of seven metals (Ag, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Ni) and a metal-related biomarker (metallothionein-like proteins–MTL) were assessed. Major differences in metal accumulation among fish species are related to their feeding habits and vent site of their capture. The liver and gills are in general the most important tissues for metal accumulation compared to the muscle, but tissue partitioning is very dependent on the fish species considered. Compared to other deep-sea fishes, fish capture in the vicinity of hydrothermal vents accumulates higher amounts of metals in general. However, MTL levels are not considerably different from what is found in commercial coastal fishes, and is poorly correlated with metal concentrations in the tissues. Therefore, MTL may not constitute one major detoxification system for deep-sea species living in the vicinity of three important MAR vent sites.     

大西洋中脊Logatchev热液区的地球物理场研究

利用"大洋一号"首次环球科考获得的地球物理资料,通过对多波束地形和地磁异常的解译,对大西洋Logatchev热液区的地球物理场特征进行了研究,研究结果表明 Logatchev热液喷口位于裂谷东侧的滑塌体上,处于南北地磁正负高值异常中心之间的缓冲带上,新发现的磁异常区与热液喷口区具有相似的特征,推测为未来的热液矿区。区内南西西-北东东和北-南向断裂不仅控制了基底深度和隆坳结构,也控制了超基性岩和热源磁性层的分布,因此它的形成与交叉切割的拆离断层、超基性岩、海洋核杂岩和重力滑塌有关。     

Metal concentrations in the shell of Bathymodiolus azoricus from contrasting hydrothermal vent fields on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Specimens of Bathymodiolus azoricus were sampled along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge at the Menez Gwen, Lucky Strike and Rainbow hydrothermal fields. Individual shells (n = 51), through the weight range 0.62 to 15.70 g, were analyzed for their magnesium, strontium, iron, manganese, copper, zinc and cadmium concentrations. Amongst the marine molluscs the shell of B. azoricus is confirmed as being particularly impoverished in strontium (mean 943 microg g(-1)). Trace metal concentrations in the shells decreased in the order Fe> Mn> Zn> Cu> Cd. Despite originating from trace metal rich environments mean concentrations were low (37.9, 13.2, 10.7, 1.1 and 0.7 microg g(-1), respectively). Irrespective of geographical origin magnesium, strontium and copper concentrations were primarily dictated by shell weight. In contrast cadmium concentrations were elevated in shells from the Rainbow field and ambient seawater chemistry imparted site specific chemical fingerprints to the shells with respect to the iron to manganese ratio.     

Geologic setting of the Snake Pit hydrothermal site: An active vent field on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

TheSnake Pit Hydrothermal Site lies on the axis of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge at 23°22′ N latitude, about 30 km south of the Kane Transform Intersection. Active ‘black smoker’ vents and a surrounding field of hydrothermal sediment occur at the crest of a laterally extensive neovolcanic ridge. It is one of the first active hydrothermal vent fields to be found on a slow-spreading ridge axis and despite significant differences in its geologic setting from those of the East Pacific Rise, has many similarities to its fast-spreading counterparts. Although preliminary reports have documented many interesting aspects of these vents and their surroundings, new data collected from the manned submersible ALVIN and the deep-towed ANGUS camera system define the regional tectonic setting as well as the local geologic environment of this fascinating area. The Snake Pit vents are located on a local peak of a volcanic constructional ridge at a depth of 3450 m, 700–800 m deeper than vents known from the East Pacific Rise, Galapagos, or Juan de Fuca spreading centers. The vent field is at least 600 m long and up to 200 m wide and is covered by a thick blanket of greenish to yellow-orange hydrothermal sediment. Both active and extinct vents are perched along the crests of steep-sided sulfide mounds that reach heights of over 40 m. High-temperature (350° C) fluids are vented from black smoker chimneys and low-temperature (226° C) fluids seep from sulphide domes and subordinate anhydrite constructions. Water temperatures, flow rates, fluid chemistries, and mineralization are strikingly similar to vents of faster spreading ridge crests; however, a somewhat distinct fauna inhabit the area.     

A new deep-sea probe for in situ pH measurement in the environment of hydrothermal vent biological communities

In situ measurements have been shown to be the most relevant means to characterise the chemical properties of the highly dynamic medium surrounding hydrothermal vent organisms. However, few instrumental devices can perform such measurements at great depth, and there is great need to extend the range of chemical parameters that can be determined in situ. To investigate the spatial and temporal variations of pH within the habitats of vent organisms, a deep-sea probe was developed and successfully tested during the HOPE’99 diving cruise (13°N, East Pacific Rise). In situ measurements allowed us to quantify the pH range over different biological communities, highlighting differences between the habitats, as well as micro-scale variations. As pH is expected to play a significant role in major biogeochemical processes occurring in the seawater/fluid-mixing zone, this probe should be of great utility for the study of interactions between vent communities and their environment.     

西南印度洋深海热液硫化物区沉积物微生物群落结构和固氮基因多样性

A sediment sample was collected from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent field located at a depth of 2 951 m on the Southwest Indian Ridge. Phylogenetic analyses were performed on the prokaryotic community using polymerase chain reaction（PCR） amplification of the 16 S rRNA and nifH genes. Within the Archaea, the dominant clones were from marine benthic group E（MBGE） and marine group I（MGI） belonging to the phyla Euryarchaeota and Thaumarchaeota, respectively. More than half of the bacterial clones belonged to the Proteobacteria, and most fell within the Gammaproteobacteria. No epsilonproteobacterial sequence was observed. Additional phyla were detected including the Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Planctomycetes, Acidobacteria, Nitrospirae, Chloroflexi, Chlorobi, Chlamydiae, Verrucomicrobia, and candidate divisions OD1, OP11, WS3 and TM6, confirming their existence in hydrothermal vent environments. The detection of nifH gene suggests that biological nitrogen fixation may occur in the hydrothermal vent field of the Southwest Indian Ridge. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that only Clusters I and III NifH were present. This is consistent with the phylogenetic analysis of the microbial 16 S rRNA genes, indicating that Bacteria play the main role in nitrogen fixation in this hydrothermal vent environment.     

A fungal epizootic in mussels at a deep-sea hydrothermal vent

Mass mortalities due to disease are important determinants of population and community structure in marine ecosystems, but the speed at which an epizootic may sweep through a population, combined with rapid selection for disease‐resistant stocks, can mask the ecological impact of disease in all but the most closely monitored populations. We document an emergent epizootic event in the deep sea that is occurring in mussels (Bathymodiolus brevior) at the Mussel Hill hydrothermal vent in Fiji Basin and we identify the causal agent as a black yeast (order Chaetothyriales) that elicits a pronounced host immune response and is associated with tissue deterioration. The yeast was not observed in other invertebrate taxa (the gastropods Ifremeria nautilei, Alviniconcha aff. hessleri; the limpets Lepetodrilus schrolli, Symmetromphalus aff. hageni; the polychaetes Branchipolynoe pettiboneae, Amphisamytha cf. galapagensis) associated with the mussel bed, nor in mussels (Bathymodiolus brevior) collected from adjacent Lau Basin mussel beds. Massive mussel mortality resulting from the fungal infection is anticipated at the Mussel Hill site in Fiji Basin; we expect that epizootic outbreaks in dense invertebrate communities have the potential to be major determinants of community structure in deep‐sea chemosynthetic ecosystems. The possibility that submersible assets may serve as vectors for transport of the fungus warrants further attention.     

Extensive deep-sea dispersal of postlarval shrimp from a hydrothermal vent

Hydrothermal vent fields on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) are small (no more than 0.1-1.0 km²) and widely spaced (a reported average of one field per 175 km between 11°N and 40°N). Their faunas are similar and usually dominated by shrimp of the family Bresiliidae. Little is known about the way these animals (and other members of the vent fauna) disperse and colonize new vents. Vent shrimp juveniles have been taken close to certain vent sites, and in midwater, but their larvae and postlarvae have not been captured. We report here that bresiliid shrimp postlarvae are very widely dispersed around the Broken Spur vent field and extend into the next MAR segment and the Atlantis Fracture Zone beyond. The populations show density gradients declining both vertically and horizontally from the vent site, in contrast to the overall pelagic biomass. This is the furthest recorded dispersal (> 100 km) of identified larvae from a hydrothermal vent and is sufficient to give them access to adjacent vent fields and thus the scope for colonising new sites.     

Biogeographic relationships among deep-sea hydrothermal vent faunas at global scale

The discovery of deep-sea hydrothermal vent fauna, kilometres deep in the oceans, is a great achievement of 20th-century marine biology. The deep-sea hydrothermal food web does not directly depend on the sun's energy. Vent communities rely primarily on trophic associations between chemoautotrophic bacteria and consumers. A small number of endemic taxa are adapted to the inhospitable vent environments that are distributed along ridge crests. Where these vent communities originated and how they dispersed are among the important questions ecologists must answer. Here, by statistical analysis of the most comprehensive database ever assembled about deep-sea hydrothermal fauna, we delineate six major hydrothermal provinces in the world ocean and identify seven possible dispersal pathways between adjacent provinces. Our model suggests that the East-Pacific Rise may have played a pivotal role as a centre of dispersal for the hydrothermal fauna. Our data-driven conclusion will have to be tested by phylogenetic studies and completed by surveys of less-explored fields.     

Mineralogical characteristics of polymetallic sulfides from the Deyin-1 hydrothermal field near 15°S,southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge

A seafloor hydrothermal field, named Deyin-1 later, near 15°S southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge(SMAR) was newly found during the 22 nd cruise carried out by the China Ocean Mineral Resources Research Development Association(COMRA). Sulfide samples were collected at three stations from the hydrothermal field during the26 th cruise in 2012. In this paper, mineralogical characteristics of the sulfides were analyzed with optical microscope, X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscope and electron microprobe to study the crystallization sequence of minerals and the process of hydrothermal mineralization. According to the difference of the ore-forming metal elements, the sulfide samples can be divided into three types:(1) the Ferich sulfide, which contains mainly pyrite and chalcopyrite;(2) the Fe-Cu-rich sulfide consisting predominantly of pyrite, chalcopyrite and isocubanite, with lesser amount of sphalerite, marmatite and pyrrhotine; and(3) the Fe-Zn-rich sulfide dominated by pyrite, sphalerite and marmatite, with variable amounts of chalcopyrite, isocubanite, pyrrhotine, marcasite, galena and gratonite. Mineral precipitations in these sulfides are in the sequence of chalcopyrite(isocubanite and possible coarse pyrite), fine pyrite,sphalerite(marmatite), galena, gratonite and then the minerals out of the dissolution. Two morphologically distinct generations(Py-I and Py-II) of pyrite are identified in each of the samples; inclusions of marmatite tend to exist in the coarse pyrite crystals(Py-I). Sphalerite in the Fe-Zn-rich sulfide is characterized by a"chalcopyrite disease" phenomenon. Mineral paragenetic relationships and a wide range of chemical compositions suggest that the environment of hydrothermal mineralization was largely changing. By comparison, the Fe-rich sulfide was formed in a relatively stable environment with a high temperature, but the conditions for the formation of the Fe-Cu-rich sulfide were variable. The Fe-Zn-rich sulfide was precipitated during the hydrothermal venting at relatively low temperature.     

Geologic controls of hydrothermal activity in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge rift valley: Tectonics and volcanics

The rift valley at three widely separated sites along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is characterized using geological and geophysical data. An analysis of bottom photographs and fine-scale bathymetry indicates that each study area has a unique detailed geology and structure. Spreading rates are apparently asymmetric at each site. Relationships between tectonic and volcanic structure and hydrothermal activity show that various stages in the evolution of the rift valley are most favorable for seafloor expression of hydrothermal activity. In a stage found at 26°08 N, site 1 (TAG), the rift valley is narrow, consisting of both a narrow volcanically active valley floor and inner walls with small overall slopes. High-temperature hydrothermal venting occurs along the faster spreading eastern inner wall of this U-shaped rift valley. Site 2 (16°46 N) has a narrow valley floor and wide block faulted walls and is at a stage where the rift valley is characterized by a V-shape. No neovolcanic zone is observed within the marginally faulted, predominantly sedimented floor and hydrothermal activity is not observed. The rift valley at site 3 (14°54 N), with postulated extrusive volcanic activity and a stage in valley evolution tending toward a U-shape, shows evidence of hydrothermal activity within the slightly faster spreading eastern inner wall. Evidence for tectonic activity (inward- and outward-facing faults and pervasive fissuring) exists throughout the wide inner wall. Hydrothermal activity appears to be favored within a U-shaped rift valley characterized by a narrow neovolcanic zone and secondarily faulted inner walls.     

Variations in axial processes on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge: The median valley of the MARK area

Submersible observations and photogeology document dramatic variations in the distribution of young volcanic rocks, faulting, fissuring, and hydrothermal activity along an 80 km-long segment of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge south of the Kane Transform (MARK Area). These variations define two spreading cells separated by a cell boundary zone or a small-offset transform zone. The northern spreading cell is characterized by a median ‘neovolcanic’ ridge which runs down the axis of the median valley floor for 40 km. This edifice is as much as 4 km wide and 600 m high and is composed of very lightly sedimented basalts inferred to be < 5000 years old. It is the largest single volcanic constructional feature discovered to date on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The active Snake Pit hydrothermal vent field is on the crest of this ridge and implies the presence of a magma chamber in the northern spreading cell. In contrast, the southern cell is characterized by small, individual volcanos similar in size to the central volcanos in the FAMOUS area. Two of the volcanos that were sampled appear to be composed of dominantly glassy basaltic rocks with very light sediment cover; whereas, other volcanos in this region appear to be older features. The boundary zone between the two spreading cells is intensely faulted and lacks young volcanic rocks. This area may also contain a small-offset ( < 8 km) transform zone. Magmatism in the northern cell has been episodic and tens of thousands of years have lapsed since the last major magmatic event there. In the southern cell, a more continuous style of volcanic accretion appears to be operative. The style of spreading in the southern cell may be much more typical for the Mid-Atlantic Ridge than that of the northern cell because the latter is adjacent to the 150 km-offset Kane Transform that may act as a thermal sink along the MAR. Such large transforms are not common on the MAR, therefore, lithosphere produced in a spreading cell influenced by a large transform may also be somewhat atypical.     

Hydrothermal vent meiobenthos associated with mytilid mussel aggregations from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the East Pacific Rise

Deep-sea hydrothermal vents occur along the mid-ocean ridges and back-arc basins around the globe. There are very few community analyses of vent meiobenthos. The central objectives of this study were to identify and quantify for the first time the entire metazoan meiobenthic community associated with mussel aggregations of Bathymodiolus thermophilus Kenk and Wilson, 1985 from the EPR, 11°N and of Bathymodiolus puteoserpentis Cosel et al., 1994 from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR), 23°N. Using a quantitative sampling method, abundance, biomass, sex ratio, species richness, diversity, evenness, and trophic structure were studied based on three samples from each site. Meiobenthic abundance in each sample was unexpectedly low, but similar between sites. The community was composed of nematodes, copepods, ostracods, and mites, with a total of 24 species at EPR vents, and 15 species at MAR vents. While most copepod species were vent endemics within the family Dirivultidae, nematodes and harpacticoid copepods belonged to generalist genera, which occur at a variety of habitats and are not restricted to hydrothermal vents or the deep sea. The meiobenthos of hydrothermal-vent mussel beds constitutes a unique community unlike those of other sulfidic habitats, including the thiobios of shallow-water sediments and the meiobenthos of deep-sea, cold-seep sediments. The trophic structure was dominated by primary consumers, mainly deposit feeders, followed by parasites. Predatory meiofaunal species were absent.     

大西洋中脊轴外新发现的热液泉(30°N)

越来越多的证据表明 :热液泉不仅沿大洋中脊分布 ,也出现在远离扩张中心的老洋壳地区。北纬 3 0°的大西洋中脊和大西洋断裂带的东部发现了一个大的热水田 ,泉口区与已知的海底热水田明显不同 ,因为它处在 1 .5Ma的老洋壳上 ,距扩张轴约 1 5km,热泉的热驱动可能源自海水和地幔熔岩间放热蛇纹岩化的反应。这些热水泉分布在似圆丘状的断块山上 ,陡侧发育碳酸盐烟囱 ,为典型的黑烟囱热水田硫化物构造。泉口液体的温度较低 ( 40～ 75℃ )、偏碱性 ( p H9.0～ 9.5) ,并维系了包括耐热厌氧菌在内的稠密的微生物群体的存在。因大西洋断块的地质特…     

Benthic fauna associated with mussel beds and shrimp swarms at hydrothermal fields on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Macrofaunal assemblages with the prevalence of Bresiliidae shrimp and Mytilidae mussels are abundant in the hydrothermal vents along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The mussels inhabit the zone of diffuse seeps of hydrothermal fluids with temperature abnormalities up to several degrees. Shrimps inhabit an extreme biotope in the mixed interface between the seawater and the hydrothermal fluid at a temperature up to 20–30°C. We studied the mussel and shrimp assemblages in three hydrothermal vent fields: the Rainbow, Broken Spur, and Snake Pit. The species richness of the mussel assemblages in at least two regions (Broken Spur and Snake Pit) is higher as compared with the shrimps of the same hydrothermal vent fields. The fauna inhibiting the shrimp swarms lack almost any taxa specific for particular assemblages: almost all the taxa are also present in the mussel beds. The structure of the shrimp assemblage is less homogeneous as compared with that of the mussel assemblage. The population prevalence of one taxon (Copepoda) in the shrimp assemblage is most likely connected with the extreme and unstable conditions of the biotope occupied by the shrimps in the hydrothermal field. The taxonomic similarity between the mussel and shrimp assemblages within one hydrothermal vent field is higher as compared with the similarity between the mussel (or shrimp) assemblages from different fields.     

大西洋中脊赤狐热液区热液产物矿物学特征及其地质意义

赤狐热液区是2019年中国在南大西洋中脊23.7°S发现的一个位于拆离断层上盘的热液区.本文利用光学显微镜、电子探针、TerraSpec?Halo矿物鉴别仪和XRD粉晶衍射仪,对该区热液产物进行了矿物学和矿物成分研究.结果表明,赤狐热液区热液产物可分为硅质硫化物、硅质矿化角砾岩和碳酸盐质矿化角砾岩.这些产物均由不等量蚀...     

Microbial community structure and diversity in deep-sea hydrothermal vent sediments along the Eastern Lau Spreading Centre

The aim of this study is to investigate microbial structures and diversities in five active hydrothermal fields’ sediments along the Eastern Lau Spreading Centre (ELSC) in the Lau Basin (southwest Pacific). Microbial communities were surveyed by denatured gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and clone library analysis of 16S rRNA genes. The differences in microbial community structures among sediment samples from the five deep-sea hydrothermal sites were revealed by DGGE profiles. Cluster analysis of DGGE profiles separated the five hydrothermal samples into two groups. Four different 16S rRNA gene clone libraries, representing two selected hydrothermal samples (19-4TVG8 and 19-4TVG11), were constructed. Twenty-three and 32 phylotypes were identified from 166 and 160 bacterial clones respectively, including Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Nitrospirae and Planctomycetes. The phylum Proteobacteria is dominant in both bacterial libraries with a predominance of Gamma-Proteobacteria. A total of 31 and 25 phylotypes were obtained from 160 and 130 archaeal clones respectively, including Miscellaneous Crenarchaeotic Group, Marine Group Ⅰ and Ⅲ, Marine Benthic Group E, Terrestrial Hot Spring Crenarchaeota and Deep-sea Hydrothermal Vent Euryarchaeota. These results show a variety of clones related to those involved in sulfur cycling, suggesting that the cycling and utilization of sulfur compounds may extensively occur in the Lau Basin deep-sea hydrothermal ecosystem.