The Discovery of New Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Communities in the Southern Ocean and Implications for Biogeography

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1001234
• Publication Date: 2012-01-04T01:21:13Z
• Authors: Alex D. Rogers; Paul A. Tyler; Douglas P. Connelly; Jon T. Copley; Rachael James; Robert D. Larter; Katrin Linse; Rachel A. Mills; Alfredo Naveira G...; Richard D. Pancost; David A. Pearce; Nicholas V. C. Po...; Christopher R. Ge...; Timothy Shank; Philipp H. Boersc...; Belinda J. Alker; Alfred Aquilina; Sarah A. Bennett; Andrew Clarke; Robert J. J. Dinley; Alastair G. C. Gr...; Darryl R. H. Green; Jeffrey A. Hawkes; Laura Hepburn; Ana Hilario; Veerle A. I. Huvenne; Leigh Marsh; Eva Ramirez-Llodra; William D. K. Reid; Christopher N. Ro...; Christopher J. Sw...; Sven Thatje; Katrin Zwirglmaier
• Keywords: Chemosynthesis; Marine ecosystem

Since the first discovery of deep-sea hydrothermal vents along Galápagos Rift in 1977, numerous vent sites and endemic faunal assemblages have been found mid-ocean ridges back-arc basins at low to mid latitudes. These discoveries suggested existence separate biogeographic provinces Atlantic North West Pacific, a province including South Pacific Indian Ocean, separation East Rise, Rise. The Southern Ocean is known be region high species diversity centre origin for global fauna. It has also proposed as gateway connecting different oceans but little explored because extreme conditions. 2009 we two segments Scotia Ridge (ESR) using remotely operated vehicle. In each segment located hosting high-temperature black smokers up 382.8°C diffuse venting. chemosynthetic ecosystems hosted by these are dominated new yeti crab (Kiwa n. sp.), stalked barnacles, limpets, peltospiroid gastropods, anemones, predatory sea star. Taxa abundant other oceans, polychaete worms (Siboglinidae), bathymodiolid mussels, alvinocaridid shrimps, absent from ESR vents. groups, except Siboglinidae, possess planktotrophic larvae, rare Antarctic marine invertebrates, suggesting that environmental conditions may act dispersal filter taxa. Evidence distinctive fauna, unique community structure, multivariate analyses suggest represent province. However, present globally indicate biogeography more complex than previously recognised.