Hydrothermal vent fields and chemosynthetic biota on the world's deepest seafloor spreading centre

Douglas P. Connelly (), Jonathan T. Copley (), Bramley J. Murton, Kate Stansfield, Paul A. Tyler, Christopher R. German, Cindy L. Van Dover, Diva Amon, Maaten Furlong, Nancy Grindlay, Nicholas Hayman, Veit Hühnerbach, Maria Judge, Tim Le Bas, Stephen McPhail, Alexandra Meier, Ko-ichi Nakamura, Verity Nye, Miles Pebody, Rolf B. Pedersen, Sophie Plouviez, Carla Sands, Roger C. Searle, Peter Stevenson, Sarah Taws and Sally Wilcox
Additional contact information
Douglas P. Connelly: National Oceanography Centre
Jonathan T. Copley: University of Southampton
Bramley J. Murton: National Oceanography Centre
Kate Stansfield: University of Southampton
Paul A. Tyler: University of Southampton
Christopher R. German: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA.
Cindy L. Van Dover: Duke University Marine Laboratory
Diva Amon: University of Southampton
Maaten Furlong: National Oceanography Centre
Nancy Grindlay: Center for Marine Science, University of North Carolina
Nicholas Hayman: University of Texas, Institute for Geophysics
Veit Hühnerbach: National Oceanography Centre
Maria Judge: National University of Ireland
Tim Le Bas: National Oceanography Centre
Stephen McPhail: National Oceanography Centre
Alexandra Meier: University of Southampton
Ko-ichi Nakamura: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
Verity Nye: University of Southampton
Miles Pebody: National Oceanography Centre
Rolf B. Pedersen: Centre for Geobiology, University of Bergen
Sophie Plouviez: Duke University Marine Laboratory
Carla Sands: National Oceanography Centre
Roger C. Searle: Durham University
Peter Stevenson: National Oceanography Centre
Sarah Taws: University of Southampton
Sally Wilcox: University of Exeter

Nature Communications, 2012, vol. 3, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract The Mid-Cayman spreading centre is an ultraslow-spreading ridge in the Caribbean Sea. Its extreme depth and geographic isolation from other mid-ocean ridges offer insights into the effects of pressure on hydrothermal venting, and the biogeography of vent fauna. Here we report the discovery of two hydrothermal vent fields on the Mid-Cayman spreading centre. The Von Damm Vent Field is located on the upper slopes of an oceanic core complex at a depth of 2,300 m. High-temperature venting in this off-axis setting suggests that the global incidence of vent fields may be underestimated. At a depth of 4,960 m on the Mid-Cayman spreading centre axis, the Beebe Vent Field emits copper-enriched fluids and a buoyant plume that rises 1,100 m, consistent with >400 °C venting from the world's deepest known hydrothermal system. At both sites, a new morphospecies of alvinocaridid shrimp dominates faunal assemblages, which exhibit similarities to those of Mid-Atlantic vents.

Date: 2012
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms1636

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