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

Connelly, DP; Copley, JT; Murton, BJ; Stansfield, K; Tyler, PA; German, CR; Van Dover, CL; Amon, D; Furlong, M; Grindlay, N; Hayman, N; Huhnerbach, V; Judge, M; Le Bas, T; McPhail, S; Meier, A; Nakamura, K; Nye, V; Pebody, M; Pedersen, R; Plouviez, S; Sands, C; Searle, RC; Stevenson, P; Taws, S; Wilcox, S

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Authors

DP Connelly

JT Copley

BJ Murton

K Stansfield

PA Tyler

CR German

CL Van Dover

D Amon

M Furlong

N Grindlay

N Hayman

V Huhnerbach

M Judge

T Le Bas

S McPhail

A Meier

K Nakamura

V Nye

M Pebody

R Pedersen

S Plouviez

C Sands

RC Searle

P Stevenson

S Taws

S Wilcox



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.

Citation

Connelly, D., Copley, J., Murton, B., Stansfield, K., Tyler, P., German, C., …Wilcox, S. (2012). Hydrothermal vent fields and chemosynthetic biota on the world's deepest seafloor spreading centre. Nature Communications, 3, Article 620. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms1636

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date Jan 1, 2012
Deposit Date Feb 7, 2012
Publicly Available Date Jun 12, 2012
Journal Nature Communications
Publisher Nature Research
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 3
Article Number 620
DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms1636

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