Spatio-temporal variability in recruitment of benthic invertebrates in hydrothermal vents

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24570037
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Ecology/Environment
• Research Institution: Tokai University (2015); Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (2012-2014)
• Principal Investigator: NAKAMURA MASAKO 東海大学, 海洋学部, 講師 (50580156)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): WATANABE Hiromi 海洋研究開発機構, 極限環境生物圏領域, 研究員 (50447380) ; SASAKI Takenori 東京大学, 総合研究博物舘, 准教授 (70313195)
• Research Collaborator: NAKAJIMA Yuichi 沖縄科学技術大学院大学, 海洋生態物理学ユニット, 研究員 (50581708)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 熱水生態系 / 幼生加入 / ベントス群集 / 幼生分散

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Due to growing anthropogenic impacts on hydrothermal vents, understanding on community structuring and maintaining mechanisms through larval recruitment is crucial. In this study, we aimed to quantify the recruitment variability of benthos at the hydrothermal vents in the Okinawa Trough, using artificial colonization plates. We set the plates at six different vents and retrieved them from two vents. Animal composition and abundance on the plates were different between vents, among sites within a vent, and between timings of recovery of the plates. The variability found in the recruitment might be influenced by reproductive and early-life history characteristics.

Free Research Field

ベントス生態学