Dissertation Research: Species Distributions and Population Structure of Escarpia Cold Seep Vestimentiferans

深海碳氢化合物冷渗漏与地球上的大多数环境不同，因为那里的生命不依赖太阳提供能量。尽管缺乏阳光，但寒冷的渗水支持着各种依赖海底石油和天然气渗漏的生物。管虫是一群对这些栖息地很重要的动物，因为它们形成灌木，为各种其他动物提供食物、生活空间和保护。由于它们依赖于不规则发生的渗漏，管虫群落可以相隔数百公里。目前，关于管虫是如何被运送到这些斑驳的环境中居住的信息很少。拟议中的研究将确定不同的管虫物种，并确定管虫的运输和殖民化如何连接墨西哥湾、西安哥拉盆地（西非）和加利福尼亚东太平洋的各个冷渗漏点。这项研究使用遗传工具和环境数据来提高人类对独特的冷渗群落是如何建立和维持的理解。冷渗生物以石油和天然气为能源，这说明即使在最极端的条件下，生命也能茁壮成长。这项工作将确定自然和人为因素如何影响这些专门的生态系统。鉴于深海栖息地的未来仍不确定，增加对这些生物的了解至关重要，因为它们对这些非凡栖息地的基础至关重要。

Deep-sea hydrocarbon cold seeps are unlike most environments on Earth, as life there is not reliant on the sun for energy. Despite the lack of sunlight, cold seeps support a diverse collection of organisms that rely on the seepage of oil and gas from the sea floor. Tubeworms are a group of animals that are important for these habitats as they form bushes that provide food, living space and protection for a variety of other animals. Due to their dependence on irregularly occurring seepage, tubeworm communities can be separated by hundreds of kilometers. Currently, there is little information available about how tubeworms are transported to inhabit these patchy environments. The proposed research will identify different tubeworm species as well as determine how transport and colonization of tubeworms connects the various cold seep sites in the Gulf of Mexico, West Angolan Basin (West Africa) and the eastern Pacific off of California. This research uses genetic tools and environmental data to improve human understanding of how unique cold seep communities are established and maintained.Cold seep organisms use oil and gas as energy sources, illustrating that life can thrive even under the most extreme conditions. This work will determine how natural and anthropogenic factors impact these specialized ecosystems. Given that the future of deep-sea habitats remains uncertain, it is critical to increase knowledge of these organisms, as they are vital to the foundation of these remarkable habitats.