ABR: Physiological Ecology of Hydrothermal Vent Animals

这项调查是对热液喷口动物用来养育自己和避免喷口栖息地的有毒潜力的机制的继续研究。现场研究将在1991年和1992年期间与IFREMER的一个法国小组合作，在前往东太平洋海隆13‘N的邮轮上进行。这些研究将集中于测量完整的化能自养共生体(管虫和贻贝)在不同温度、pH、O2、硫化物和CO2条件下对CO2、O2、硫化物和潜在氮源的交换速率，以确定这些生物的环境要求和限制，并探讨动物和共生体代谢在处理硫化物及其氧化产物方面的相互作用。二氧化碳、O2和还原硫化物在动物体内的运输将通过完整动物和分离的O2和硫化物结合蛋白的实验来检验。对热液喷口蟹也将进行类似的研究，以了解它们在低氧气、高硫化物环境中持续生存的能力。此外，还将进行类似的研究，以比较非喷口共生和异养物种。

This investigation is a continuation of research into the mechanisms used by hydrothermal vent animals to nurture themselves and to avoid the toxic potentials of the vent habitats. The on-site studies will be executed on cruises to 13'N on the East Pacific Rise during 1991 and 1992 in cooperation with a French group from IFREMER. The studies will focus on measuring the rates of exchange of CO2, O2, sulfide and potential nitrogen sources by the intact chemoautotrophic symbiotic associations (vestimentiferan tubeworms and mussels) under different conditions of temperature, pH, O2, sulfide and CO2, to define the environmental requirements and limitations on these organisms as well as to investigate the interaction of animal and symbiont metabolism in dealing with sulfide and its oxidation products. The transport of CO2, O2 and reduced sulfur compounds within the animals will be examined by means of experiments with intact animals and with isolated O2 and sulfide binding proteins. Similar studies will also be carried out on the hydrothermal vent crabs to gain an understanding of their abilities to live continuously in low O2, high sulfide environments. Similar studies will additionally be conducted for comparison on non-vent symbiotic and heterotrophic species as well.