C. L. Van Dover

Bacterial photosynthesis in surface waters of the open ocean

The oxidation of the global ocean by cyanobacterial oxygenic photosynthesis, about 2,100 Myr ago, is presumed to have limited anoxygenic bacterial photosynthesis to oceanic regions that are both anoxic and illuminated. The discovery of oxygen-requiring photosynthetic bacteria about 20 years ago changed this notion, indicating that anoxygenic bacterial photosynthesis could persist under oxidizing conditions. However, the distribution of aerobic photosynthetic bacteria in the world oceans, their photosynthetic competence and their relationship to oxygenic photoautotrophs on global scales are unknown. Here we report the first biophysical evidence demonstrating that aerobic bacterial photosynthesis is widespread in tropical surface waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean and in temperate coastal waters of the northwestern Atlantic. Our results indicate that these organisms account for 2–5% of the photosynthetic electron transport in the upper ocean.

Hydrothermal vents near a mantle hot spot: the Lucky Strike vent field at 37'N on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

The Lucky Strike hydrothermal field occurs in the summit basin of a large seamount that forms the shallow center of a 65 km long ridge segment near 37°N on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The depth and chemistry of the ridge segment are influenced by the Azores hot spot, and this hydrothermal field is the first Atlantic site found on crust that is dominated by a hot spot signature. Multiple hydrothermal vents occur over an area of at least 300 m by 700 m. Vent morphologies range from flanges and chimneys with temperatures of 200–212°C, to black smoker chimneys with temperatures up to 333°C. Cooler fluids from northern vents have higher chlorinities and lower gas volumes, while hotter, southern fluids have chlorinities 20% below seawater with higher gas volumes, suggesting phase separation has influenced their compositions. All gas volumes in fluids are higher than those at TAG and Snake Pit hydrothermal fields. Black smokers exhibit their typical mineralogy, except that barite is a major mineral, particularly at lower-temperature sites, which contrasts with previously investigated Atlantic sites. The fluid chemistry, distribution of the relict sulfide deposits on the seamount summit in the areas investigated using DSV Alvin, and contact relationships between active vent sites and surrounding basaltic and sulfide substrate suggest that the hydrothermal system has a long history and may have recently been rejuvenated. Fauna at the Lucky Strike vent sites are dominated by a new species of mussel, and include the first reported sea urchins. The Lucky Strike biological community differs considerably from other vent fauna at the species level and appears to be a new biogeographic province. The Lucky Strike field helps to constrain how variations in the basaltic substrate influence the composition of hydrothermal fluids and solids, because basalt compositions at Lucky Strike are 10–30 times enriched in incompatible elements compared to other Atlantic hydrothermal sites such as TAG, Snake Pit and Broken Spur. The incompatible element

Blake Ridge methane seeps: characterization of a soft-sediment, chemosynthetically based ecosystem

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 invertebrate

Cues and context: Larval responses to physical and chemical cues

Most marine organisms have a highly specialized larval settlement stage. A major function of the settlement stage is response to environmental input that results in deposition of the larvae in a location which confers probability of survival and successful reproduction. The settlement stage is a prime target for management strategies because it is a key and vulnerable step in the colonization process. Published and unpublished work will be synthesized to provide an overview of responses of a variety of settlement stage larvae to chemical and physical cues. It is maintained that due to tiny larval brains and poor memories, it is environmental cues rather than larval choice that determines where larvae settle. Larval examples include ascidians, brachyurans, bryozoans, cirripedes, hydroids and polychaetes. Chemical cues include inorganic and organic compounds, including stimulatory peptides and odors. Physical cues include surface energy, vibration and light. The aims of this review are to find common ground...

Trophic relationships among invertebrates at the Kairei hydrothermal vent field (Central Indian Ridge)

Abstract. Exploration of hydrothermal vent systems in locations remote from well-studied sites allows ecologists to determine the degree of site-specific variation in trophic relationships among communities. A preliminary outline of the trophic structure of the Kairei hydrothermal vent community on the Central Indian Ridge (25°19.23′S; 70°02.42′E) is provided here, based on analysis of collections from an April 2001 expedition. Invertebrate biomass at Kairei is dominated by organic carbon with a δ13C isotopic value of about –13‰, due to the abundance of primary consumers (shrimp: Rimicaris aff. exoculata) and secondary consumers (anemones: Marianactis n. sp.) with this isotopic composition. Filamentous thiotrophic episymbionts on shrimp have been interpreted to be the major diet items of the shrimp and hence are the dominant primary producers within the community. Free-living autotrophic microorganisms are implicated as the dietary base for other invertebrate species. Four trophic groups are identified within the Kairei invertebrates based on carbon- and nitrogen-isotope ratios, but these groups do not always define discrete trophic levels. Ontogenetic shifts in diet are documented for R. aff. exoculata and brachyuran crabs (Austinograea n. sp.). Diets of symbiont-bearing mussels (Bathymodiolus aff. brevior) and two species of gastropods are isotopically constant throughout the range of sizes analyzed. There is a consistent but unexplained pattern of increasing nitrogen isotopic composition with increasing carbon isotopic composition in vent communities from geographically disjunct oceanic regions. Given the assumptions associated with interpretations of isotopic data, there remains a missing pool of carbon (presumably unsampled bacterial biomass) that contributes to the maintenance of the 13C- and 15N-enriched primary consumers in these ecosystems.

Diversity of meiofauna and free-living nematodes in hydrothermal vent mussel beds on the northern and southern East Pacific Rise

The ecology and biogeography of meiofauna at deep-sea hydrothermal vents have historically received less attention than those of mega- and macrofauna. This study examines the composition of major meiofaunal taxa in beds of the mussel Bathymodiolus thermophilus at hydrothermal vents on the northern and southern East Pacific Rise (EPR) and presents the first comparison of species assemblages of the dominant taxon, the nematodes, among sites spanning 27 degrees of latitude. Meiofaunal samples were collected by submersible from three mussel beds at 9°N on the EPR and four mussel beds between 17 and 18°S in 1999. Estimated ages of the mussel beds at the time of sampling range from 4 to >20 years, enabling investigation of the influence of mussel bed age on meiofaunal assemblages. Overall, the meiofauna of the mussel beds was dominated by nematodes, with copepods constituting the second most abundant meiofaunal group. There was variation in the ratio of nematodes to copepods between sites, however, with copepods more abundant than nematodes in the youngest mussel beds. Apart from polychaete larvae, other meiofaunal groups were generally present at very low abundance (<1%) in the samples and restricted in diversity to gastropod larvae, acari, foraminifera, ostracoda and turbellaria. Seventeen nematode species from 14 genera and 11 families were found in the samples, with no evidence of endemicity to hydrothermal vents at the generic level. Four genera present were not previously recorded at hydrothermal vents. Nematode species richness, species:genus ratios and abundances were low compared with other deep-sea habitats, though the ecological relevance of comparisons with soft-sediment benthos is discussed. Nematode assemblages exhibited high dominance by a few species, with one species of Thalassomonhystera most abundant at five of the seven vent sites. Multivariate analysis of nematode assemblages reveals similarities among sites that do not match geographical proximity. The youngest mussel beds were most similar to each other and exhibited lower species richness than other sites, consistent with colonization of mussel bed habitat by nematodes over time. Similarity in the composition of nematode assemblages among sites separated by ∼3000 km indicates that they lie within a single biogeographic province, consistent with that proposed for mussel bed macrofauna. At a generic level, samples exhibited some overlap with nematode assemblages at vents elsewhere on the EPR, on the Mid Atlantic Ridge and in the North Fiji Basin.

Evidence for extensive methane venting on the southeastern U.S. Atlantic margin

We present the first evidence for widespread seabed methane venting along the southeastern United States Atlantic margin beyond the well-known Blake Ridge diapir seep. Recent ship- and autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV)–collected data resolve multiple water-column anomalies (>1000 m height) and extensive new chemosynthetic seep communities at the Blake Ridge and Cape Fear diapirs. These results indicate that multiple, highly localized fluid conduits punctuate the areally extensive Blake Ridge gas hydrate province, and enable the delivery of significant amounts of methane to the water column. Thus, there appears to be an abundance of seabed fluid flux not previously ascribed to the Atlantic margin of the United States.

Higher-taxon richness as a surrogate for species richness in chemosynthetic communities

Estimations of biodiversity and species richness in deep-sea marine ecosystems are impeded by time-consuming methods of species identification. In conservation biology, in environmental monitoring, and in paleontology, a higher-taxon approach (e.g., identification to genera or families) can be used as a surrogate for species richness. We applied a higher-taxon approach to well-documented chemosynthetic communities associated with seep and vent mussel beds to test its applicability in these systems. Significant positive correlations between cumulative number of species and cumulative number of higher taxa were found at the generic, family, and order levels. The number of these higher taxa can be used to predict species richness in vent and seep mussel beds.

An ecosystem-based deep-ocean strategy

Monitoring and assessment must underpin development of a new international agreement Increasing exploration and industrial exploitation of the vast and fragile deep-ocean environment for a wide range of resources (e.g., oil, gas, fisheries, new molecules, and soon, minerals) raises global concerns about potential ecological impacts (1–3). Multiple impacts on deep-sea ecosystems (>200 m below sea level; ∼65% of the Earths surface is covered by deep ocean) caused by human activities may act synergistically and span extensive areas. Cumulative impacts could eventually cause regime shifts and alter deep-ocean life-support services, such as the biological pump or nutrient recycling (2, 4, 5). Although international law and national legislation largely ignore the deep seas critical role in the functioning and buffering of planetary systems, there are promising developments in support of deep-sea protection at the United Nations and the International Seabed Authority (ISA). We propose a strategy that builds from existing infrastructures to address research and monitoring needs to inform governments and regulators.

Variations in ambient light emission from black smokers and flange pools on the Juan De Fuca Ridge

Ambient light emitted by high-temperature black smokers and flange pools on the Juan de Fuca Ridge was imaged using a new spectral imaging camera. Most of the light is emitted at long wavelengths (700–1000 nm) and corresponds well to thermal radiation from a body at the same temperature as the vents/flanges. However, black smokers also emit time-varying radiation in the visible region (400–650 nm) which cannot be explained by a thermal source. This visible radiation is 1–2 orders of magnitude greater than would be expected for purely thermal radiation; it exhibits variation with time, despite relatively constant vent temperatures; and it is not associated with the hottest part of the plume (i.e. the orifice). Flange pools do not exhibit excess visible light over that for a thermal source, suggesting that the light at smokers is caused by mechanisms related to turbulence, mixing, or precipitation.