Ecology of Mid-Atlantic Ridge Hydrothermal Vents: Food Web Analysis Using Multiple Molecular and Isotopic Techniques

而非光合作用的有机碳来源 被 作为主要能源， 无脊椎 深海热液喷口的生物种群， 碳 转移尚未阐明整个 社区 存在多种碳转移途径， 由一个 或者另一条道路在地理上 间断 网站. 中大西洋海岭喷口群落在 他们的 对自由生活的初级生产的明显依赖 关联 表面有硫化物， 活性 虾的种群。 这项研究将使用TAG网站上的中期- 大西洋 岭内碳转移的案例研究 通气 社区 货车多佛博士及其同事将鉴定 主要 营养链，特别强调1）测试 替代 关于虾类食物来源的假说 和2） 空间同位素的确定，分类和 生物质 基础膳食库的异质性， 特异性 消费者对这些池，和实力， 相互作用 消费者之间。 为了完成这些任务，他们将 采用 分子和同位素技术来确定 基底 并追踪这些食物池的路径， 的 食物网 现场项目将被设计为 空间 微生境特征的异质性， 定义 温度、矿物学分析和大型底栖动物分析 和 分布。

While non-photosynthetic sources of organic carbon have been implicated as the primary energy source fueling invertebrate populations at deep-sea hydrothermal vents, details of carbon transfer have not been elucidated for an entire community. Multiple paths for transfer of carbon exist, and dominance by one or another path varies dramatically at geographically disjunct sites. Mid-Atlantic Ridge vent communities are striking in their apparent dependence on free-living primary production associated with sulfide surfaces to support large and metabolically active populations of shrimp. This research will use the TAG site on the Mid- Atlantic Ridge for a case-study of carbon transfer within a vent community. Dr. Van Dover and colleagues will identify the major trophic links, with particular emphasis on 1) testing alternative hypotheses regarding the source of food for shrimp and 2) determination of the spatial isotopic, taxonomic and biomass heterogeneity of basal dietary pools, the degree of specificity of consumers to these pools, and the strength of interactions between consumers. To accomplish these tasks, they will employ molecular and isotopic techniques to define distinctive basal dietary pools and to trace the paths of these pools through the food web. The field program will be designed to relate spatial heterogeneity to microhabitat characteristics as defined by temperature, mineralogical assays and macrofaunal assays and distributions.