The Vent and Seep Biota Aspects from Microbes to Ecosystems

Oases of life around black smokers and hydrocarbon seeps in the deep-sea were among the most surprising scientific discoveries of the past three decades. These ecosystems are dominated by animals having symbiotic relationships with chemoautotrophic bacteria. Their study developed into an international, interdisciplinary venture where scientists develop new technologies to work in some of the most extreme places on Earth. This book highlights discoveries, developments, and advances made during the past 10 years, including remarkable cases of host-symbiont coevolution, worms living on frozen methane, and a fossil record providing insights into the dynamic history of these ecosystems since the Paleozoic.

Chemosynthetically-Driven Ecosystems in the Deep Sea.- Genetics and Evolution of Deep-Sea Chemosynthetic Bacteria and Their Invertebrate Hosts.- Microbial Habitats Associated with Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Invertebrates: Insights from Microanalysis and Geochemical Modeling.- Microbial Chemofossils in Specific Marine Hydrothermal and Methane Cold Seep Settings.- Chemosymbiotic Bivalves.- The Diversity of Deep-Sea Mussels and Their Bacterial Symbioses.- Gastropods from Recent Hot Vents and Cold Seeps: Systematics, Diversity and Life Strategies.- The Fossil Record of Vent and Seep Mollusks.- Brachiopods from Ancient Hydrocarbon Seeps and Hydrothermal Vents.- Unusual Habitats and Organisms Associated with the Cold Seeps of the Gulf of Mexico.- Biological Communities at Marine Shallow-Water Vent and Seep Sites.- Japan: Vents and Seeps in Close Proximity.- Shaping Vent and Seep Communities: Habitat Provision and Modification by Foundation Species.- An Eldorado for Paleontologists: The Cenozoic Seeps of Western Washington State, USA.