Trophodynamics at the Longqi hydrothermal vent field and comparison with the East Scotia and Central Indian Ridges
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Trophodynamics at the Longqi hydrothermal vent field and comparison with the East Scotia and Central Indian Ridges W. D. K. Reid1 · B. D. Wigham1 · L. Marsh2 · J. N. J. Weston1 · Y. Zhu1 · J. T. Copley2 Received: 30 March 2020 / Accepted: 8 August 2020 © The Author(s) 2020
Abstract The Longqi vent field, situated on the Southwest Indian Ridge, is ecologically distinct among known hydrothermal vents fields. It hosts a combination of previously unknown species and those shared at species or genus level with other hydrothermal vents on the Central Indian Ridge (CIR) and East Scotia Ridge (ESR). We investigate the size-based and trophodynamics of consumers at Longqi vent field and compared these with ESR and CIR vent fields using stable isotope analysis. Intraspecific variability in δ13C and δ15N values in relationship to shell length was observed in Gigantopelta aegis but absent in Chrysomallon squamiferum. A model-based clustering approach identified four trophic groupings at Longqi: species with the lowest δ13C values being supported by carbon fixed via the Calvin–Benson–Bassham cycle, the highest δ13C values being supported by the reductive tricarboxylic acid cycle and intermediate values potentially supported by a mix of these primary production sources. These clusters were driven by potential differences in resource partitioning. There were also differences in the spread of stable isotope values at the vent field level when comparing Bayesian stable isotope ellipse areas among Longqi, CIR and ESR vent fields. This was driven by a combination of the range in δ13C value of macrofauna, and the negative δ15N values which were only observed at Longqi and CIR vent fields. Many of the shared species or genera showed inter-vent field differences in stable isotope values which may be related to site-specific differences in food sources, geochemistry or potential intra-field competition. This study provides important information on the trophic ecology of hydrothermal vent macrofauna found within an area of seabed that is licensed for seabed mining exploration.
Introduction Deep-sea hydrothermal vents are patchy, ephemeral habitats that occur along tectonically or volcanically active midocean ridges, back-arc spreading centres and seamounts (Tunnicliffe et al. 2003; Staudigel et al. 2006). Microbial Responsible Editor: H. J. T. Hoving. Reviewed by A. Colaco and Y. Zhou. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-020-03755-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. * W. D. K. Reid [email protected] 1
Ecology Group, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle NE1 7RU, UK
Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
2
and macrofaunal biomass at hydrothermal vents are typically higher in comparison with the surrounding deep sea because of in situ primary production by chemotrophic bacteria, which
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