Arthropoda; Crustacea; Decapoda of deep-sea volcanic habitats of the Galapagos Marine Reserve, Tropical Eastern Pacific

The deep-sea biome (> 200 m depth) is the world’s last great wilderness, covering more than 65% of the earth’s surface. Due to rapid technological advances, deep-sea environments are becoming more accessible to scientific research and ocean exploration around the world and, in recent years, this is also true for the Galapagos Islands. Deep-sea habitats cover the largest proportion of Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR), yet to date, no comprehensive baseline exists on the biodiversity of the benthic fauna associated with volcanic seafloor formations within this region. Closing this knowledge gap is essential to provide information for decision-making for the management of marine resources within the GMR and assessing any potential changes in biodiversity resulting from climate-driven alterations that deep-sea environments are expected to experience. In 2015, the Charles Darwin Foundation’s Seamounts of the GMR Research Project, together with the Galapagos National Park Directorate (GNPD) and Ocean Exploration Trust (OET), conducted a joint expedition on board the EV Nautilus. Using Remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), the aim of the expedition was to characterise the geological formations and biological communities present on seamounts, lava flows and other deep-sea habitats (> 200 m) within the GMR. We provide the first comprehensive image inventory for the phylum Arthropoda from 260 to 3400 m of depth within the GMR. Past studies on deep-sea macroinvertebrates in the GMR have been limited to voucher samples collected from dredging (restricted to soft bottom environments) or by submersibles (only allowing limited biological sampling). The image inventory, presented here, is based on high-definition video transects conducted by the Hercules ROV on board the EV Nautilus. Images of macroinvertebrate morphospecies were captured, catalogued and identified, thus providing the first known image inventory of in-situ macroinvertebrate species from the deep-sea region of the GMR. We present 32 distinct morphospecies occurrences within the class Malacostraca and order Decapoda. We also report 17 different families, three species that are new records to the GMR, in-situ images of two new species to science recently described and one possible new squat lobster, as well as interesting behavioural observations.

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First record of a spawning aggregation for the tropical eastern Pacific endemic grouper Mycteroperca olfax in the Galapagos Marine Reserve

Journal of Fish Biology ◽

10.1111/jfb.12703 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 87 (1) ◽

pp. 179-186 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

P. Salinas-de-León ◽

E. Rastoin ◽

D. Acuña-Marrero

Keyword(s):

Marine Reserve ◽

First Record ◽

Eastern Pacific ◽

Spawning Aggregation ◽

Tropical Eastern Pacific ◽

Galapagos Marine Reserve

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Tourist Preferences for Seamount Conservation in the Galapagos Marine Reserve

Frontiers in Marine Science ◽

10.3389/fmars.2020.602767 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

Author(s):

Sierra Ison ◽

Theo Ison ◽

Patricia Marti-Puig ◽

Katherine Needham ◽

Michael K. Tanner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Willingness To Pay ◽

Deep Sea ◽

Stated Preference ◽

Marine Reserve ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Management Plan ◽

Governmental Organizations ◽

Non Governmental Organizations ◽

Study Support ◽

Galapagos Marine Reserve

Seamounts provide oases of hard substrate in the deep sea that are frequently associated with locally enhanced biological productivity and diversity. There is now increasing recognition of their ecological and socio-economic importance. However, management strategies for these habitats are constrained not only by limited ecological understanding but by the general public’s understanding of the pressures facing these ecosystems. This study adds to the growing literature on willingness to pay for conservation of deep-sea ecosystems and species by undertaking a stated preference survey to assess tourist’s awareness of seamounts and their preferences for protection within the Galapagos Marine Reserve. Visitors’ perceptions of seamount biodiversity must be studied because tourists are key drivers of the Galapagos economy and account for 41% of the Marine Reserve budget. Our survey captured the attitudes, perceptions and willingness to pay of tourists for an increase in the entrance fee to the Galapagos Marine Reserve. Results showed tourists were willing to pay on average US$48.93 in addition to existing entrance fees. The results of this study support the willingness to develop a multiuse management plan for the Galapagos Marine Reserve, balancing conservation, local communities livelihoods and sustainable tourism. Our results evidence a willingness to support and fund conservation, which is of critical importance to both the Galapagos National Park and local non-governmental organizations heavily reliant for their work on entrance fees and donations respectively. Overall, the conclusion from this study is that, despite limited knowledge, visitors of the Galapagos Islands attach positive and significant values to the conservation of seamount biodiversity.

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Phytoplankton biomass distribution and identification of productive habitats within the Galapagos Marine Reserve by MODIS, a surface acquisition system, and in-situ measurements

Remote Sensing of Environment ◽

10.1016/j.rse.2008.03.005 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 112 (6) ◽

pp. 3044-3054 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

Blake A. Schaeffer ◽

John M. Morrison ◽

Daniel Kamykowski ◽

Gene C. Feldman ◽

Lian Xie ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Phytoplankton Biomass ◽

Marine Reserve ◽

In Situ Measurements ◽

Acquisition System ◽

Biomass Distribution ◽

Galapagos Marine Reserve

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Development of a deep-sea mercury sensor using in situ anodic stripping voltammetry

GEOCHEMICAL JOURNAL ◽

10.2343/geochemj.2.0368 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 49 (6) ◽

pp. 613-620 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Masahiro Yamamoto ◽

Hitoshi Kodamatani ◽

Yuriko Kono ◽

Akinori Takeuchi ◽

Ken Takai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Deep Sea ◽

Anodic Stripping Voltammetry ◽

Stripping Voltammetry ◽

Anodic Stripping ◽

Mercury Sensor

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Rapid evolution and host immunity drive the rise and fall of carbapenem resistance during an acute Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection

Nature Communications ◽

10.1038/s41467-021-22814-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Rachel Wheatley ◽

Julio Diaz Caballero ◽

Natalia Kapel ◽

Fien H. R. de Winter ◽

Pramod Jangir ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽

Efflux Pump ◽

Rapid Evolution ◽

Carbapenem Resistance ◽

Host Immunity ◽

High Definition ◽

Loss Of Resistance ◽

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Infection ◽

Second Wave

AbstractIt is well established that antibiotic treatment selects for resistance, but the dynamics of this process during infections are poorly understood. Here we map the responses of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to treatment in high definition during a lung infection of a single ICU patient. Host immunity and antibiotic therapy with meropenem suppressed P. aeruginosa, but a second wave of infection emerged due to the growth of oprD and wbpM meropenem resistant mutants that evolved in situ. Selection then led to a loss of resistance by decreasing the prevalence of low fitness oprD mutants, increasing the frequency of high fitness mutants lacking the MexAB-OprM efflux pump, and decreasing the copy number of a multidrug resistance plasmid. Ultimately, host immunity suppressed wbpM mutants with high meropenem resistance and fitness. Our study highlights how natural selection and host immunity interact to drive both the rapid rise, and fall, of resistance during infection.

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Development of an Easy-to-Operate Underwater Raman System for Deep-Sea Cold Seep and Hydrothermal Vent In Situ Detection

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s21155090 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (15) ◽

pp. 5090

Author(s):

Qingsheng Liu ◽

Jinjia Guo ◽

Wangquan Ye ◽

Kai Cheng ◽

Fujun Qi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Deep Sea ◽

Hydrothermal Vent ◽

Methane Hydrate ◽

Sulfur Cycle ◽

Cold Seep ◽

Remotely Operated Vehicle ◽

Bacterial Mats ◽

Optical Module ◽

In Situ Detection

As a powerful in situ detection technique, Raman spectroscopy is becoming a popular underwater investigation method, especially in deep-sea research. In this paper, an easy-to-operate underwater Raman system with a compact design and competitive sensitivity is introduced. All the components, including the optical module and the electronic module, were packaged in an L362 × Φ172 mm titanium capsule with a weight of 20 kg in the air (about 12 kg in water). By optimising the laser coupling mode and focusing lens parameters, a competitive sensitivity was achieved with the detection limit of SO42− being 0.7 mmol/L. The first sea trial was carried out with the aid of a 3000 m grade remotely operated vehicle (ROV) “FCV3000” in October 2018. Over 20,000 spectra were captured from the targets interested, including methane hydrate, clamshell in the area of cold seep, and bacterial mats around a hydrothermal vent, with a maximum depth of 1038 m. A Raman peak at 2592 cm−1 was found in the methane hydrate spectra, which revealed the presence of hydrogen sulfide in the seeping gas. In addition, we also found sulfur in the bacterial mats, confirming the involvement of micro-organisms in the sulfur cycle in the hydrothermal field. It is expected that the system can be developed as a universal deep-sea survey and detection equipment in the near future.

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