1996 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

BENTHIC ANIMALS IN SHALLOW WATERS THAT CAN EXPLOIT CHEMOSYNTHETIC PRIMARY PRODUCTION

Research Project

Project/Area Number	07836012
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Section	時限
Research Field	海洋生物学
Research Institution	PREFECTURAL UNIVERSITY OF KUMAMOTO
Principal Investigator	TSUTSUMI Hiroaki GENERAL EDUCATION,FACULTY OF HUMAN LIFE SCIENCES,PREFECTURAL UNIVERSITY OF KUMAMOTO, 生活科学部, 助教授 (50197737)
Project Period (FY)	1995 – 1996
Keywords	CAPITELLA / HYDROGEN SULPHIDE / ORGANIC ENRICHMENT / CHEMOSYNTHESIS
Research Abstract	Benthic communities, which rely on primary production by chemoautotrophic sulfur bacteria, have been discovered not only around hydrothermal vents, where heated water with extremely high levels of H_2S is emitted, but also in organically enriched sediments of estuaries and on mud flats, where sulfate-reducing bacteria decompose organic matter anaerobically producing H_2S.The benthic communities which rely on primary production by chemoautotrophic sulfur bacteriia appear to be widespread in sulfide-rich marine ecosystems. In this study, we report that growth of a deposit-feeding polychaete, Capitella sp. I, which is a dominant macrofaunal species in organically enriched sediments in coastal areas, was greatly enhanced by exposure to H_2S.The large worms grown in high levels of sulfide had significantly lower delta^<13>C values (mean, -24.4% than Control worms (mean, -20.1%). The worms appear to achieve normal growthrelying on the chemosynthetic production.

(1 results)