BENTHIC ANIMALS IN SHALLOW WATERS THAT CAN EXPLOIT CHEMOSYNTHETIC PRIMARY PRODUCTION

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Benthic communities, which rely on primary production by chemoautotrophic sulfur bacteria, have been discovered not only around hydrothermal vents, where heated water with extremely high levels of H_2S is emitted, but also in organically enriched sediments of estuaries and on mud flats, where sulfate-reducing bacteria decompose organic matter anaerobically producing H_2S.The benthic communities which rely on primary production by chemoautotrophic sulfur bacteriia appear to be widespread in sulfide-rich marine ecosystems. In this study, we report that growth of a deposit-feeding polychaete, Capitella sp. I, which is a dominant macrofaunal species in organically enriched sediments in coastal areas, was greatly enhanced by exposure to H_2S.The large worms grown in high levels of sulfide had significantly lower delta^<13>C values (mean, -24.4% than Control worms (mean, -20.1%). The worms appear to achieve normal growthrelying on the chemosynthetic production.