Gene Flow and Species Diversity in Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vent Communities

该项目将继续对深海热液喷口和冷水硫化物/碳氢化合物渗漏特有的生物进行种群遗传和分子系统研究。在过去的14年里，海洋探险队从世界上大多数已知的喷口和渗漏栖息地收集了大量的乙醇和冷冻保存的标本。这些标本将为评估目前尚不清楚的生物地理省新发现的分类群的进化亲缘性提供基础。主要目标是探索两个鲜为人知的全球区域，它们可能在历史上或现在提供深海主要生物地理省之间的联系：东太平洋的复活节微板块区域和西太平洋的劳/斐济盆地。标本将由载人或无人潜水器收集，并保存在支援船上，以供后续的分子和形态学研究。分子分析（主要是DNA测序）将在国内机构的实验室进行。种群遗传分析将侧重于评估遗传多样性和地理结构，以及估计物种内基因传播模式和流动速率。继续系统的研究将集中在开发强大的多基因系统发育的软体动物和环节动物群体主导的喷口。这项工作将有助于对生活在这些不寻常的深海群落中的优势物种的系统地理学和系统观点。许多本科生、研究生和博士后将受益于与本项目相关的实验室和海洋学经验。新的信息将发表在专业文献中，并通过网络资源和演示文稿向公众提供。

This project will continue population genetic and molecular systematic studies of organisms endemic to deep-sea hydrothermal vents and cold-water sulfide/hydrocarbon seeps. Oceanic expeditions over the past 14 years have amassed an extensive collection of ethanol- and cryopreserved specimens from most of the known vent and seep habitats in the world. These specimens will provide a foundation for assessing the evolutionary affinities of newly discovered taxa in biogeographical provinces that presently are poorly understood. Primary objectives are to explore two little known global regions that might provide historical or present-day connections between major biogeographical provinces in the deep-sea: the Easter Microplate region in the eastern Pacific and the Lau/Fiji Basins in the western Pacific. Specimens will be collected with manned or unmanned submersibles and preserved on board the support vessel for subsequent molecular and morphological studies. Molecular analyses (mostly DNA sequencing) will be conducted in a lab at the home institution. Population genetic analyses will focus on assessing genetic diversity and geographical structure, and on estimating modes of dispersal and rates of gene flow within species. Continuing systematic studies will focus on development of robust multi-gene phylogenies for the molluscan and annelid groups that dominate vents. This work will contribute to phylogeographic and systematic perspectives on the dominant species that live in these unusual abyssal communities. Numerous undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral students will benefit from laboratory and oceanographic experiences associated with this project. New information will be published in the professional literature and made available to the public through web-based resources and presentations.