COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: Integrated Studies of Biological Community Structure at Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents

这一调查代表了一个综合方案，旨在评估负责生物群落结构的因素在热液喷口在该地区之间的9 '49.6 1'和9 '5 0.3 6' N（被称为生物？地质断面）沿着东太平洋海隆（EPR）的波峰。这多的目的？学科的努力是获得生物，化学和物理特性，变异性和影响生物群落结构的过程（从微生物到巨型动物）在深？海洋通风系统。选择的研究地点应最大限度地与各种地球物理（例如，地震的）和地球化学的（例如，主要内容）由其他工作人员提出的研究。该项目将探讨以下广泛的假设：（1）喷口生物群落结构的急剧变化与该区域内的地震、构造和/或火山活动有关;（2）喷口流体化学（主要是硫化物的形态和浓度）是控制喷口群落结构的主导因素;（3）与扩散流相关的微生物群落结构随时间、温度以及对氧、铁、锰和硫形态差异的响应而变化。在该地区1991年4月爆发事件期间形成的几个9 '50 N喷口处，贻贝现在占主导地位，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中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、取样方法和使用深潜器AIvin进行的操纵实验，以更详细地了解控制这些热液生态系统中生物群落结构的因素。为此，在原位voltarnmetric传感器包将被用来测量化学品，氧气，pH值和温度随着时间的推移，在各种vestimentiferan和贻贝微生境的流体样品将获得微生物表征。操纵实验将集中在删除和随后排除贻贝从选定地区的贻贝？主要的组合，再加上详细的geochernical和微生物表征相关的微生境之前和之后贻贝去除。随后，将通过连续移除和分析随时间推移部署的玄武岩块来跟踪裸露区以及邻近种群区域内“对照”区的隔离笼内的招募和定殖。伴随的流体的化学，物理和微生物分析将允许这些参数与群落结构的时间变化的相关性。所有调查人员都像近年来一样，致力于积极参与各种教育和公共宣传活动。我们提议的努力的一个组成部分将是密切协调提议的研究、正式和非正式教育以及与即将上映（2003年秋季）的IMAX电影（深海火山）有关的推广活动。 与斯蒂芬低制作公司（该公司生产的电影），他们将放在一起，一个正式的教师指南，并创建一个电影？关联网站www.volcanoesofthedeepsea.com），该域已经被保护。电影主题的一个组成部分集中在过去十年中在北纬9 '50'附近发生的生物群落结构的变化。 在每一次拟议的巡航过程中，他们计划让博物馆和水族馆（即，通过与该网站直接相连的“真实的时间”卫星网络，与科学教育工作者和NSF COSEE中心（海洋科学卓越教育中心）网络一起，在全国各地建立起一个网络，提供每日数据记录、图像、视频流等。

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.