Cold seep communities as indicators of fluid expulsion patterns through mud volcanoes seaward of the Barbados accretionary prism

Abstract. Mud volcanoes are a special type of cold seeps where life is based on chemoautotrophic processes. They are considered as extreme environments and are characterised by unique megafaunal and macrofaunal communities. However, very few studies on mud volcanoes taking into account the smaller meiobenthic communities have been carried out. Two mud volcanoes were explored during the MEDECO cruise (2007) with the Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Victor-6000; Amsterdam, located south of Turkey between 1700 and 2000 m depth (Anaximander mud field) and Napoli, south of Crete, located along the Mediterranean Ridge at about 2000 m depth (Olimpi mud field). The major aim of this study was to describe distributional patterns of meiofaunal communities and nematode assemblages from different seep microhabitats. Meiofaunal taxa and nematode assemblages at both mud volcanoes differed significantly from other Mediterranean sites in terms of standing stocks, dominance and species diversity. Density and biomass values were significantly higher at the seep sites, particularly at Amsterdam. Nematodes, the dominant meiofaunal taxon, displayed deeper penetration vertically into the sediment at the seep areas, indicating that biological rather than physicochemical factors are responsible for their vertical distribution. Patterns of nematode diversity varied, displaying both very high or very low species richness and dominance, depending on the habitat studied. The Lamellibrachia periphery and mussel bed of Napoli exhibited the highest species richness while the reduced sediments of Amsterdam yielded a species-poor nematode community, dominated by two successful species; one belonging to the genus Aponema and the other to the genus Sabatieria. Analysis of β-diversity showed that habitat heterogeneity of mud volcanoes contributed substantially to the total nematode species richness in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. These observations indicate a strong influence of mud volcanoes and cold-seep ecosystems on the meiofaunal communities and nematode assemblages.

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Gigantism in Mytilidae. A new Bathymodiolus from cold seep areas on the Barbados accretionary Prism

Comptes Rendus de l Académie des Sciences - Series III - Sciences de la Vie ◽

10.1016/s0764-4469(98)80005-x ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 321 (8) ◽

pp. 655-663 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Rudo von Cosel ◽

Karine Olu

Keyword(s):

Accretionary Prism ◽

Cold Seep

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Influence of chemosynthetic ecosystems on nematode community structure and biomass in the deep eastern Mediterranean Sea

Biogeosciences ◽

10.5194/bg-10-5381-2013 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. 5381-5398 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

N. Lampadariou ◽

V. Kalogeropoulou ◽

K. Sevastou ◽

K. Keklikoglou ◽

J. Sarrazin

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Eastern Mediterranean ◽

Nematode Community ◽

Cold Seep ◽

Cold Seeps ◽

Mud Volcanoes ◽

Remotely Operated Vehicle ◽

Eastern Mediterranean Sea ◽

Density And Biomass

Abstract. Mud volcanoes are a~special type of cold seeps where life is based on chemoautotrophic processes. They are considered to be extreme environments and are characterized by unique megafaunal and macrofaunal communities. However, very few studies on mud volcanoes taking into account the smaller meiobenthic communities have been carried out. Two mud volcanoes were explored during the MEDECO (MEditerranean Deep-sea ECOsystems) cruise (2007) with the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Victor-6000: Amsterdam, located south of Turkey between 1700 and 2000 m depth (Anaximander mud field); and Napoli, south of Crete, located along the Mediterranean Ridge at about 2000 m depth (Olimpi mud field). The major aim of this study was to describe distributional patterns of meiofaunal communities and nematode assemblages from different seep microhabitats. Meiofaunal taxa and nematode assemblages at both mud volcanoes differed significantly from other Mediterranean sites in terms of standing stocks, dominance and species diversity. Density and biomass values were significantly higher at the seep sites, particularly at Amsterdam. Patterns of nematode diversity, the dominant meiofaunal taxon, varied, displaying both very high or very low species richness and dominance, depending on the microhabitat studied. The periphery of the Lamellibrachia and bivalve shell microhabitats of Napoli exhibited the highest species richness, while the reduced sediments of Amsterdam yielded a species-poor nematode community dominated by two successful species, one belonging to the genus Aponema and the other to the genus Sabatieria. Analysis of β-diversity showed that microhabitat heterogeneity of mud volcanoes contributed substantially to the total nematode species richness in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. These observations indicate a strong influence of mud volcanoes and cold-seep ecosystems on the meiofaunal communities and nematode assemblages.

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Serpentinite mud volcanism and exhumation of fore arc- and lower plate material in the Mariana convergent margin system (IODP Expedition 366)

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-5452 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Walter Kurz ◽

Irena Miladinova ◽

Arianna V. Del Gaudio ◽

Werner Piller ◽

Kurt Krenn

Keyword(s):

Preliminary Investigation ◽

Accretionary Prism ◽

Oceanic Lithosphere ◽

Pacific Plate ◽

Mud Volcanoes ◽

Metamorphic History ◽

Mud Volcanism ◽

Calcite Veins ◽

Si Content

Serpentine seamounts located in the forearc region of a subduction zone setting represent an excellent natural laboratory for studying the geochemical processes acting along convergent plate margins and the associated natural hazards as well as the forearc structure and fault patterns. Active serpentinite mud volcanoes are currently restricted only to the Izu-Bonin-Mariana system, where old (presumably Cretaceous) oceanic lithosphere is subducting in the absence of an accretionary prism.IODP Expedition 366 recovered cores from three serpentinite mud volcanoes at increasing distances from the Mariana trench (Yinazao, Fantangis&#241;a and As&#249;t Tesoru). Most of the material consists of serpentinite mud containing lithic clasts from the underlying forearc crust and mantle as well as from the subducting Pacific plate. A thin cover of pelagic sediments and volcanic ash deposits underlying the mud volcanos were also recovered. Recycled materials from the subducted slab are found at all three mud volcanoes and consist of metavolcanics rocks, metamorphosed pelagic sediments including cherty limestone as well as fault rocks.Preliminary investigation of recovered sedimentary clasts from the summit of Fantangis&#241;a Seamount revealed that they contain primary calcite veins, whereas the latest veins are composed of aragonite (CaCO&#8323;) and barite (BaSO&#8324;).Recovered clasts from the flank consist mainly of ultramafic rocks with various degrees of serpentinization. The serpentinite veins consist of lizardite and chrysotile, which suggests rather low temperatures of serpentinization (below 200 &#176;C). Petrological analysis of metabasalt clasts from the same drilling hole shows changes in the mineral composition within the different intervals of the core. The composition of clinopyroxene varies between aegirine-augite and omphacite, but augite is also present. The presence of phengite with Si content of 3.5-3.8 a.p.f.u. indicates minimum pressure of 0.7 GPa at ~250 &#176;C.Furthermore, providing a detailed characterization of the fluids composition and transport would allow the better constraining of the tectonic and metamorphic history as well as the physical properties of the subducting Pacific Plate. Obtaining data on that point is in progress and will be presented additionally.

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Interconnectivity vs. isolation of prokaryotic communities in European deep-sea mud volcanoes

Biogeosciences ◽

10.5194/bg-10-2821-2013 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 10 (5) ◽

pp. 2821-2831 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

M. G. Pachiadaki ◽

K. A. Kormas

Keyword(s):

Eastern Mediterranean ◽

Cold Seep ◽

Comparative Approach ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Continental Margins ◽

Cold Seeps ◽

Mud Volcanoes ◽

Sea Mud ◽

Shared Otus ◽

Isolated Systems

Abstract. During the past two decades, European cold seep ecosystems have attracted the scientific interest and to date there are several studies which have investigated the community structure and biodiversity of individual sites. In order to gain a better insight into the biology, biodiversity, and biogeography of seep-associated microbial communities along Europe's continental margins, a comparative approach was applied in the present work. By exploiting the publicly available data on 16S rRNA gene sequences retrieved from sediments of the Håkon Mosby mud volcano, Gulf of Cádiz and the eastern Mediterranean mud volcanoes/pockmarks (Anaximander area and Nile Fan), we investigated the prokaryotic biological components connecting these geographically isolated systems. The construction of interaction networks for both archaeal and bacterial shared operational taxonomic units (OTUs) among the different sites, revealed the presence of persistent OTUs, which can be considered as "key-players". One archaeal OTU (HQ588641) belonging to the ANME-3 group and one δ-Proteobacteria (HQ588562) were found in all five investigated areas. Other Archaea OTUs shared between four sites or less, belonged to the ANME-2c, -2a, MBG-D, -B and Thaumarchaeota. All other shared Bacteria belonged to the δ- and γ-Proteobacteria, with the exception of one JS1 affiliate OTU. The distribution of the majority of the shared OTUs seems to be restricted in cold seeps, mud volcanoes and other marine methane-rich environments. Although the investigated sites were connected through a small number of OTUs, these microorganisms hold central ecophysiological roles in these sediments, namely methane- and sulfur-mediated mineralization.

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Seafloor distribution and last glacial to postglacial activity of mud volcanoes on the Calabrian accretionary prism, Ionian Sea

Geo-Marine Letters ◽

10.1007/s00367-013-0354-y ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 34 (2-3) ◽

pp. 111-129 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Silvia Ceramicola ◽

Daniel Praeg ◽

Andrea Cova ◽

Daniela Accettella ◽

Massimo Zecchin

Keyword(s):

Accretionary Prism ◽

Ionian Sea ◽

Mud Volcanoes ◽

Last Glacial

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Origin and transport of pore fluids in the Nankai accretionary prism inferred from chemical and isotopic compositions of pore water at cold seep sites off Kumano

Earth Planets and Space ◽

10.1186/s40623-014-0137-3 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 66 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Tomohiro Toki ◽

Ryosaku Higa ◽

Akira Ijiri ◽

Urumu Tsunogai ◽

Juichiro Ashi

Keyword(s):

Pore Water ◽

Accretionary Prism ◽

Cold Seep ◽

Pore Fluids ◽

Isotopic Compositions

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Metatranscriptomic Analysis of Diminutive Thiomargarita-Like Bacteria (“Candidatus Thiopilula” spp.) from Abyssal Cold Seeps of the Barbados Accretionary Prism

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.00039-15 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 81 (9) ◽

pp. 3142-3156 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Daniel S. Jones ◽

Beverly E. Flood ◽

Jake V. Bailey

Keyword(s):

Elemental Sulfur ◽

Accretionary Prism ◽

Sulfur Cycle ◽

Cold Seep ◽

Cold Seeps ◽

Content Type ◽

Nitrogenous Compounds ◽

Sulfate Reducing ◽

Sulfur Oxidizing ◽

Spherical Cells

ABSTRACTLarge sulfur-oxidizing bacteria in the familyBeggiatoaceaeare important players in the global sulfur cycle. This group contains members of the well-known generaBeggiatoa,Thioploca, andThiomargaritabut also recently identified and relatively unknown candidate taxa, including “CandidatusThiopilula” spp. and “Ca. Thiophysa” spp. We discovered a population of “Ca. Thiopilula” spp. colonizing cold seeps near Barbados at a ∼4.7-km water depth. The Barbados population consists of spherical cells that are morphologically similar toThiomargaritaspp., with elemental sulfur inclusions and a central vacuole, but have much smaller cell diameters (5 to 40 μm). Metatranscriptomic analysis revealed that when exposed to anoxic sulfidic conditions, Barbados “Ca. Thiopilula” organisms expressed genes for the oxidation of elemental sulfur and the reduction of nitrogenous compounds, consistent with their vacuolated morphology and intracellular sulfur storage capability. Metatranscriptomic analysis further revealed that anaerobic methane-oxidizing and sulfate-reducing organisms were active in the sediment, which likely provided reduced sulfur substrates for “Ca. Thiopilula” and other sulfur-oxidizing microorganisms in the community. The novel observations of “Ca. Thiopilula” and associated organisms reported here expand our knowledge of the globally distributed and ecologically successfulBeggiatoaceaegroup and thus offer insight into the composition and ecology of deep cold seep microbial communities.

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Interconnectivity vs. isolation of prokaryotic communities in European deep-sea mud volcanoes

Biogeosciences Discussions ◽

10.5194/bgd-9-17377-2012 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 9 (12) ◽

pp. 17377-17400

Author(s):

M. G. Pachiadaki ◽

K. A. Kormas

Keyword(s):

Deep Sea ◽

Eastern Mediterranean ◽

Sampling Period ◽

Cold Seep ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Mud Volcanoes ◽

Sampling Protocols ◽

Key Species ◽

Sea Mud ◽

Sequencing Platforms

Abstract. By exploiting the available data on 16S rRNA gene sequences – spanning over a sampling period of more than 10 yr – retrieved from sediments of the Haakon Mosby mud volcano (HMMV), Gulf of Cadiz (GoC) and eastern Mediterranean (Amsterdam and Kazan mud volcanoes; AMSMV, KZNMV) mud volcanoes/pockmarks, we investigated whether these systems are characterized by high (interconnectivity) or low (isolation) connection degree based on shared bacterial and archaeal phylotypes. We found only two archaeal and two bacterial phylotypes to occur in all three sites and a few more that were found in two of the three sites. Although the number of shared species depends a lot on the analysis depth of each sample, the majority of the common phylotypes were related mostly to cold seep deep-sea habitats, while for some of them their relative abundance was high enough to be considered as key-species for the habitat they were found. As new tools, like next generation sequencing platforms, are more appropriate for revealing greater depth of diversity but also allow sample replication and uniform sampling protocols, and gain wider recognition and usage, future attempts are more realistic now for fully elucidating the degree of specificity in deep-sea mud volcanoes and pockmarks microbial communities.

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