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Hydrothermal faunal assemblages and habitat characterisation at the Eiffel Tower edifice (Lucky Strike, Mid-Atlantic Ridge)

Hydrothermal faunal assemblages and habitat characterisation at the Eiffel Tower edifice (Lucky Strike, Mid-Atlantic Ridge)
Hydrothermal faunal assemblages and habitat characterisation at the Eiffel Tower edifice (Lucky Strike, Mid-Atlantic Ridge)
The Eiffel Tower edifice is situated in the Lucky Strike hydrothermal vent field at a mean depth of 1690 m on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR). At this 11-m-high hydrothermal structure, different faunal assemblages, varying in visibly dominant species (mussels and shrimp), in mussel size and in density of mussel coverage, were sampled biologically and chemically. Temperature and sulphide (?S) were measured on the different types of mussel-based assemblages and on a shrimp-dominated assemblage. Temperature was used as a proxy for calculating total concentrations of CH4. Based on the physico-chemical measurements, two microhabitats were identified, corresponding to (i) a more variable habitat featuring the greatest fluctuations in environmental variables and (ii) a second, more stable, habitat. The highest temperature variability and the highest maximum recorded temperatures were found in the assemblages visibly inhabited by alvinocaridid shrimp and dense mussel beds of large Bathymodiolus azoricus, whereas the less variable habitats were inhabited by smaller-sized mussels with increasing bare surface in between. Larger mussels appeared to consume more ?S compared with smaller-sized (<1 cm) individuals and thus had a greater influence on the local chemistry. In addition, the mussel size was shown to be significantly positively correlated to temperature and negatively to the richness of the associated macrofauna. The presence of microbial mats was not linked to specific environmental conditions, but had a negative effect on the presence and abundance of macro-fauna, notably gastropods. Whereas some taxa or species are found in only one of the two microhabitats, others, such as polychaetes and Mirocaris shrimp, cross the different microhabitats. Temperature was proposed to be a more limiting factor in species distribution than ?S.
Faunal assemblage, hydrothermal vent, microhabitat, Mid-Atlantic Ridge, physico-chemical characterisation
0173-9565
243-255
Cuvelier, Daphne
d6449b18-fb48-4d43-8299-ad5df13727fd
Sarradin, Pierre-Marie
3abe21db-43ca-4e6e-88b0-8911a7526842
Sarrazin, Jozée
ef38f067-1b60-441d-9151-926c54e274ed
Colaço, Ana
624450ca-8296-48b0-806a-05c210cd165e
Copley, Jon T.
5f30e2a6-76c1-4150-9a42-dcfb8f5788ef
Desbruyères, Daniel
62eac3d8-185b-4f35-9fa0-0446d2bd60b6
Glover, Adrian G.
91192a3a-fc25-4c1f-b062-2e4da183272e
Santos, Ricardo Serrão
02159d78-e2c9-49e7-90ff-f200fa864524
Tyler, Paul A.
d1965388-38cc-4c1d-9217-d59dba4dd7f8
Cuvelier, Daphne
d6449b18-fb48-4d43-8299-ad5df13727fd
Sarradin, Pierre-Marie
3abe21db-43ca-4e6e-88b0-8911a7526842
Sarrazin, Jozée
ef38f067-1b60-441d-9151-926c54e274ed
Colaço, Ana
624450ca-8296-48b0-806a-05c210cd165e
Copley, Jon T.
5f30e2a6-76c1-4150-9a42-dcfb8f5788ef
Desbruyères, Daniel
62eac3d8-185b-4f35-9fa0-0446d2bd60b6
Glover, Adrian G.
91192a3a-fc25-4c1f-b062-2e4da183272e
Santos, Ricardo Serrão
02159d78-e2c9-49e7-90ff-f200fa864524
Tyler, Paul A.
d1965388-38cc-4c1d-9217-d59dba4dd7f8

Cuvelier, Daphne, Sarradin, Pierre-Marie, Sarrazin, Jozée, Colaço, Ana, Copley, Jon T., Desbruyères, Daniel, Glover, Adrian G., Santos, Ricardo Serrão and Tyler, Paul A. (2011) Hydrothermal faunal assemblages and habitat characterisation at the Eiffel Tower edifice (Lucky Strike, Mid-Atlantic Ridge). Marine Ecology, 32 (2), 243-255. (doi:10.1111/j.1439-0485.2010.00431.x).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The Eiffel Tower edifice is situated in the Lucky Strike hydrothermal vent field at a mean depth of 1690 m on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR). At this 11-m-high hydrothermal structure, different faunal assemblages, varying in visibly dominant species (mussels and shrimp), in mussel size and in density of mussel coverage, were sampled biologically and chemically. Temperature and sulphide (?S) were measured on the different types of mussel-based assemblages and on a shrimp-dominated assemblage. Temperature was used as a proxy for calculating total concentrations of CH4. Based on the physico-chemical measurements, two microhabitats were identified, corresponding to (i) a more variable habitat featuring the greatest fluctuations in environmental variables and (ii) a second, more stable, habitat. The highest temperature variability and the highest maximum recorded temperatures were found in the assemblages visibly inhabited by alvinocaridid shrimp and dense mussel beds of large Bathymodiolus azoricus, whereas the less variable habitats were inhabited by smaller-sized mussels with increasing bare surface in between. Larger mussels appeared to consume more ?S compared with smaller-sized (<1 cm) individuals and thus had a greater influence on the local chemistry. In addition, the mussel size was shown to be significantly positively correlated to temperature and negatively to the richness of the associated macrofauna. The presence of microbial mats was not linked to specific environmental conditions, but had a negative effect on the presence and abundance of macro-fauna, notably gastropods. Whereas some taxa or species are found in only one of the two microhabitats, others, such as polychaetes and Mirocaris shrimp, cross the different microhabitats. Temperature was proposed to be a more limiting factor in species distribution than ?S.

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More information

Published date: June 2011
Keywords: Faunal assemblage, hydrothermal vent, microhabitat, Mid-Atlantic Ridge, physico-chemical characterisation

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 184393
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/184393
ISSN: 0173-9565
PURE UUID: 87744e13-b4d0-46a8-afb3-1b36340d8199
ORCID for Jon T. Copley: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-3333-4325

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Date deposited: 05 May 2011 15:18
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 02:48

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Contributors

Author: Daphne Cuvelier
Author: Pierre-Marie Sarradin
Author: Jozée Sarrazin
Author: Ana Colaço
Author: Jon T. Copley ORCID iD
Author: Daniel Desbruyères
Author: Adrian G. Glover
Author: Ricardo Serrão Santos
Author: Paul A. Tyler

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