ABR: Physiological Ecology of Hydrothermal Vent Animals

这项调查是对热液喷口动物用来哺育自己和避免喷口生境潜在毒性的机制的研究的继续。现场研究将在1991年和1992年期间与法国海洋所的一个法国小组合作，在东太平洋海隆的北纬13度进行。本研究的重点是测量完整的化能自养共生体对CO2、O2、硫化物和潜在氮源的交换速率（vestimentiferan tubebworms and mussels）在不同温度、pH、O2、硫化物和CO2条件下，确定对这些生物的环境要求和限制，并研究动物和共生体代谢在处理硫化物时的相互作用及其氧化产物。将通过使用完整动物和分离的O2和硫化物结合蛋白的实验来检查CO2、O2和还原硫化合物在动物体内的运输。还将对热液喷口螃蟹进行类似的研究，以了解它们在低氧、高硫化物环境中持续生存的能力。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.