COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: Integrated studies of biological community structure at deep sea hydrothermal vents

本研究是一个综合项目，旨在评估9‘49.6 1’和9'5 0.3 6'N(被称为Biologic？沿东太平洋隆起（EPR）顶部的地质样带。这样做的目的是什么？学科努力是获得对深海生物、化学和物理特征、可变性和影响生物群落结构（从微生物到巨型动物）的过程的基本新理解。海上排气系统。所选择的研究地点应最大限度地与其他工作人员提出的各种地球物理（如地震）和地球化学（如主要元素）研究相结合。本项目将解决以下广泛的假设：(1)喷口生物群落结构的剧烈变化与该地区的地震、构造和/或火山活动有关；(2)喷口流体化学（主要是硫化物形态和浓度）是控制喷口群落结构的主要因素；(3)与扩散流动相关的微生物群落结构随时间、温度以及氧、铁、锰和硫形态的差异而变化。在1991年4月该地区的一次喷发事件中形成的9'50N喷口的几个地方，贻贝现在主导着动物群，而该地区的其他栖息地则由Tevniajerichonana或Riftiapachyptila主导。目前的方法建立在过去十年在这些地点获得的大量数据集的基础上，并提出了一系列现场测量、采样方法和使用深潜水器AIvin进行的操纵实验，以更详细地了解这些热液生态系统中控制生物群落结构的因素。为此，将使用原位伏安传感器包来测量各种维氏体和贻贝微生境中随时间变化的化学物质、氧气、pH值和温度，从中获得流体样品以进行微生物特性表征。操作实验将集中于从贻贝的选定区域去除和随后排除贻贝？优势组合，结合贻贝去除前后相关微生境的详细地球化学和微生物特征。随后在裸露地区的隔离笼内招募和殖民化，以及在邻近人口区域的“控制”区域，将随着时间的推移，通过连续移除和分析部署的玄武岩块。同时对流体进行化学、物理和微生物分析，将使这些参数与群落结构的时间变化相关联。正如近年来所做的那样，所有的调查人员都致力于积极参与无数的教育和公共宣传活动。我们所提议的努力的一个组成部分将是密切协调所提议的研究，与正式和非正式的教育以及与IMAX电影（深海火山）有关的外展活动，该电影计划于2003年秋季上映。与斯蒂芬·洛制作公司（制作这部电影的公司）合作，他们将制作一份正式的教师指南，并制作一部电影。关联网站www.volcanoesofthedeepsea.com)，其域名已被保护。影片主题的一个组成部分是关注过去十年在北纬9度50分附近发生的生物群落结构的变化。他们计划在每次前往该地区的航行过程中，让全国各地的博物馆和水族馆（即那些拥有IMAX影院的公共教育机构）与科学教育者和国家科学基金会COSEE中心（卓越海洋科学教育中心）网络直接通过与网站直接相连的“实时”卫星网络，提供每日数据日志、图像、流媒体视频等。这项倡议将与Ridge 2000教育和推广计划密切协调。

This ivestigation represent an integrated program designed to assess factors responsible for biological community structure at hydrothermal vents in the area between 9'49.6 1' and 9'5 0.3 6'N (known as the Biologic?Geologic Transect) along the crest of the East Pacific Rise (EPR). The objective of this multi?disciplinary effort is to gain a fundamental new understanding of the biological, chemical, and physical characteristics, variability, and processes affecting organism community structure (from microbes to megafauna) in deep?sea vent systems. Study sites have been selected that should maximize integration with a variety of geophysical (e.g., seismic) and geochemical (e.g., major element) studies being proposed by other workers. This project will address the following broad hypotheses: (1) Dramatic changes in biological community structure at vents are correlated with seismic, tectonic and/or volcanic activity within the region; (2) Vent fluid chemistry (principally sulfide speciation and concentration) is the predominant factor controlling the structure of vent communities; and (3) The structure of microbial communities associated with diffuse flows varies with time, temperature, and in response to differences in oxygen, iron, manganese and sulfur speciation. At several of the 9'50N vent sites that formed during an April 1991 eruptive event in the area, mussels now dominate the faunal assemblages, while other habitats within the region are dominated either by Tevniajerichonana or Riftiapachyptila. The present approach builds upon the extensive data sets obtained at these sites over the past decade and proposes a series of in situ measurements, sampling approaches and manipulative experiments conducted using the deep submergence vehicle AIvin to gain a more detailed understanding of factors controlling biological community structure in these hydrothermal ecosystems. To this end, in situ voltarnmetric sensor packages will be used to measure chemicals, oxygen, pH and temperature over time in a variety of vestimentiferan and mussel microhabitats from which fluid samples will be obtained for microbiological characterization. Manipulative experiments will focus on removal and subsequent exclusion of mussels from selected regions of mussel?dominated assemblages, coupled with detailed geochernical and microbiological characterization of associated microhabitats before and after mussel removal. Subsequentrecruitment and colonization within exclusion cages in denuded areas, as well as in "control" areaswithin adjacent regions of the population, will be followed through successive removal and analysisof deployed basalt blocks over time. Concomitant chemical, physical and microbiological analysesof fluids will permit correlation of these parameters with temporal changes in community structure. All of the investigators are committed, as they have been in recent years, to active involvement in a myriad of educational and public outreach activities. An integral part of our proposed effort will be to closely coordinate the proposed studies with, formal and informal education and outreach activities associated with an IMAX film (Volcanoes of the Deep Sea), scheduled soon for release (fall 2003). In conjunction with Stephen Low Productions (the company producing the film) they will put together a formal Teacher's Guide and create a film?associated website www.volcanoesofthedeepsea.com), for which the domain has already been secured. An integral part of the subject matter of the film focuses on changes in biological community structure that have occurred over the past decade in the vicinity of 9'50'N. During the course of each of the proposed cruises to the area, they plan to involve museums and aquaria (i.e., those public education institutions having IMAX theaters) throughout the country, together with science educators and the network of NSF COSEE Centers (Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence) directly through "real time" satellite networking tied directly to the website, providing daily data logs, images, streaming video, etc. This initiative will be closely coordinated with the Ridge 2000 Education and Outreach Program.