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Rizzo C, Arcadi E, Calogero R, Ciro Rappazzo A, Caruso G, Maimone G, Lo Giudice A, Romeo T, Andaloro F. Deciphering the evolvement of microbial communities from hydrothermal vent sediments in a global change perspective. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 240:117514. [PMID: 37890823 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Microbial communities first respond to changes of external environmental conditions. Observing the microbial responses to environmental changes in terms of taxonomic and functional biodiversity is therefore of great interest, particularly in extreme environments, where the already extreme conditions can become even harsher. In this study, sediment samples from three different shallow hydrothermal vents in Levante Bay (Vulcano Island, Aeolian Islands, Italy) were used to set up microcosm experiments with the aim to explore the microbial dynamics under changing conditions of pH and redox potential over a 90-days period. The leading hypothesis was to establish under microcosm conditions whether the starting microbial communities of the sediments evolved differently depending on their origin. To profile the dynamics of microbial populations over time, biodiversity, enzymatic profile, total cell abundance estimations, total/respiring cell ratio were estimated by using different approaches. An evident change in the microbial community structure was observed, mainly in the microcosm containing the sediment from the most acidified site, which was characterized by a highly diversified microbial community (in prevalence composed of Thermotoga, Desulfobacterota, Planctomycetota, Synergistota and Deferribacterota). An increase in microbial resistant forms (e.g., spore-forming species) with anaerobic metabolism was detected in all experimental conditions. Differential physiological responses characterized the sedimentary microbial communities. Proteolytic activity appeared to be stimulated under microcosm conditions, whereas the alkaline phosphatase activity was significantly depressed at low pH values, like those that were measured at the station showing intermediate pH-conditions. The results confirmed a differential response of microbial communities depending on the starting environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Rizzo
- Marine Biotechnology Department, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn-, Sicily Marine Centre, Villa Pace, Contrada Porticatello 29, 98167, Messina, Italy; Institute of Polar Sciences, National Research Council (CNR-ISP), Spianata S. Raineri 86, 98122, Messina, Italy.
| | - Erika Arcadi
- StazioneZoologica Anton Dohrn, Sicily Marine Centre, Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Villa Pace, Contrada Porticatello 29, 98167, Messina, Italy.
| | - Rosario Calogero
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Sicily Marine Centre, Contrada Porticatello, 29, 98167 Messina, Italy
| | - Alessandro Ciro Rappazzo
- Institute of Polar Sciences, National Research Council (CNR-ISP), Spianata S. Raineri 86, 98122, Messina, Italy; Campus Scientifico, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Italy
| | - Gabriella Caruso
- Institute of Polar Sciences, National Research Council (CNR-ISP), Spianata S. Raineri 86, 98122, Messina, Italy
| | - Giovanna Maimone
- Institute of Polar Sciences, National Research Council (CNR-ISP), Spianata S. Raineri 86, 98122, Messina, Italy
| | - Angelina Lo Giudice
- Institute of Polar Sciences, National Research Council (CNR-ISP), Spianata S. Raineri 86, 98122, Messina, Italy
| | - Teresa Romeo
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Sicily Marine Centre, Contrada Porticatello, 29, 98167, Messina, Italy; National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via Dei Mille 46, 98057, Milazzo, Italy
| | - Franco Andaloro
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Sicily Marine Centre, Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo, 4521 Palermo, Italy
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Arcadi E, Rizzo C, Calogero R, Sciutteri V, Fabiano F, Consoli P, Andaloro F, Romeo T. Microbial communities inhabiting shallow hydrothermal vents as sentinels of acidification processes. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1233893. [PMID: 37727286 PMCID: PMC10505797 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1233893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Shallow hydrothermal vents are considered natural laboratories to study the effects of acidification on biota, due to the consistent CO2 emissions with a consequent decrease in the local pH. Methods Here the microbial communities of water and sediment samples from Levante Bay (Vulcano Island) with different pH and redox conditions were explored by Next Generation Sequencing techniques. The taxonomic structure was elucidated and compared with previous studies from the same area in the last decades. Results and discussion The results revealed substantial shifts in the taxonomic structure of both bacterial and archaeal communities, with special relevance in the sediment samples, where the effects of external parameters probably act for a long time. The study demonstrates that microbial communities could be used as indicators of acidification processes, by shaping the entire biogeochemical balance of the ecosystem in response to stress factors. The study contributes to understanding how much these communities can tell us about future changes in marine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Arcadi
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organism, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Sicily Marine Centre, Messina, Italy
| | - Carmen Rizzo
- Marine Biotechnology Department, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn–, Sicily Marine Centre, Messina, Italy
- Institute of Polar Sciences, National Research Council (CNR-ISP), Messina, Italy
| | - Rosario Calogero
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Sicily Marine Centre, Messina, Italy
| | - Valentina Sciutteri
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Sicily Marine Centre, Messina, Italy
| | - Francesco Fabiano
- Marine Biotechnology Department, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn–, Sicily Marine Centre, Messina, Italy
| | - Pierpaolo Consoli
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Sicily Marine Centre, Messina, Italy
| | - Franco Andaloro
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Sicily Marine Centre, Messina, Italy
| | - Teresa Romeo
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Sicily Marine Centre, Messina, Italy
- National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Milazzo, Italy
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Rucker HR, Ely TD, LaRowe DE, Giovannelli D, Price RE. Quantifying the Bioavailable Energy in an Ancient Hydrothermal Vent on Mars and a Modern Earth-Based Analog. ASTROBIOLOGY 2023; 23:431-445. [PMID: 36862508 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2022.0064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Putative alkaline hydrothermal systems on Noachian Mars were potentially habitable environments for microorganisms. However, the types of reactions that could have fueled microbial life in such systems and the amount of energy available from them have not been quantitatively constrained. In this study, we use thermodynamic modeling to calculate which catabolic reactions could have supported ancient life in a saponite-precipitating hydrothermal vent system in the Eridania basin on Mars. To further evaluate what this could mean for microbial life, we evaluated the energy potential of an analog site in Iceland, the Strytan Hydrothermal Field. Results show that, of the 84 relevant redox reactions that were considered, the highest energy-yielding reactions in the Eridania hydrothermal system were dominated by methane formation. By contrast, Gibbs energy calculations carried out for Strytan indicate that the most energetically favorable reactions are CO2 and O2 reduction coupled to H2 oxidation. In particular, our calculations indicate that an ancient hydrothermal system within the Eridania basin could have been a habitable environment for methanogens using NH4+ as an electron acceptor. Differences in Gibbs energies between the two systems were largely determined by oxygen-its presence on Earth and absence on Mars. However, Strytan can serve as a useful analog for Eridania when studying methane-producing reactions that do not involve O2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly R Rucker
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Tucker D Ely
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- 39Alpha Research, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Douglas E LaRowe
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Donato Giovannelli
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II," Naples, Italy
| | - Roy E Price
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
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Ecological and Biotechnological Relevance of Mediterranean Hydrothermal Vent Systems. MINERALS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/min12020251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Marine hydrothermal systems are a special kind of extreme environments associated with submarine volcanic activity and characterized by harsh chemo-physical conditions, in terms of hot temperature, high concentrations of CO2 and H2S, and low pH. Such conditions strongly impact the living organisms, which have to develop adaptation strategies to survive. Hydrothermal systems have attracted the interest of researchers due to their enormous ecological and biotechnological relevance. From ecological perspective, these acidified habitats are useful natural laboratories to predict the effects of global environmental changes, such as ocean acidification at ecosystem level, through the observation of the marine organism responses to environmental extremes. In addition, hydrothermal vents are known as optimal sources for isolation of thermophilic and hyperthermophilic microbes, with biotechnological potential. This double aspect is the focus of this review, which aims at providing a picture of the ecological features of the main Mediterranean hydrothermal vents. The physiological responses, abundance, and distribution of biotic components are elucidated, by focusing on the necto-benthic fauna and prokaryotic communities recognized to possess pivotal role in the marine ecosystem dynamics and as indicator species. The scientific interest in hydrothermal vents will be also reviewed by pointing out their relevance as source of bioactive molecules.
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Rolling Ironstones from Earth and Mars: Terrestrial Hydrothermal Ooids as a Potential Analogue of Martian Spherules. MINERALS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/min11050460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
High-resolution images of Mars from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) rovers revealed mm-size loose haematite spherulitic deposits (nicknamed “blueberries”) similar to terrestrial iron-ooids, for which both abiotic and biotic genetic hypotheses have been proposed. Understanding the formation mechanism of these haematite spherules can thus improve our knowledge on the possible geologic evolution and links to life development on Mars. Here, we show that shape, size, fabric and mineralogical composition of the Martian spherules share similarities with corresponding iron spherules currently forming on the Earth over an active submarine hydrothermal system located off Panarea Island (Aeolian Islands, Mediterranean Sea). Hydrothermal fluids associated with volcanic activity enable these terrestrial spheroidal grains to form and grow. The recent exceptional discovery of a still working iron-ooid source on the Earth provides indications that past hydrothermal activity on the Red Planet is a possible scenario to be considered as the cause of formation of these enigmatic iron grains.
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Phylogenetic Diversity of Archaea in Shallow Hydrothermal Vents of Eolian Islands, Italy. DIVERSITY 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/d11090156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Shallow hydrothermal systems (SHS) around the Eolian Islands (Italy), related to both active and extinct volcanism, are characterized by high temperatures, high concentrations of CO2 and H2S, and low pH, prohibitive for the majority of eukaryotes which are less tolerant to the extreme conditions than prokaryotes. Archaea and bacteria are the key elements for the functioning of these ecosystems, as they are involved in the transformation of inorganic compounds released from the vent emissions and are at the basis of the hydrothermal system food web. New extremophilic archaea (thermophilic, hyperthermophilic, acidophilic, alkalophilic, etc.) have been isolated from vents of Vulcano Island, exhibiting interesting features potentially valuable in biotechnology. Metagenomic analyses, which mainly involved molecular studies of the 16S rRNA gene, provided different insights into microbial composition associated with Eolian SHS. Archaeal community composition at Eolian vent sites results greatly affected by the geochemistry of the studied vents, principally by hypersaline conditions and declining temperatures. Archaeal community in sediments was mostly composed by hyperthermophilic members of Crenarchaeota (class Thermoprotei) and Euryarchaeota (Thermococci and Methanococci) at the highest temperature condition. Mesophilic Euryarchaeota (Halobacteria, Methanomicrobia, and Methanobacteria) increased with decreasing temperatures. Eolian SHS harbor a high diversity of largely unknown archaea, and the studied vents may be an important source of new isolates potentially useful for biotechnological purposes.
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Di Bella M, Sabatino G, Quartieri S, Ferretti A, Cavalazzi B, Barbieri R, Foucher F, Messori F, Italiano F. Modern Iron Ooids of Hydrothermal Origin as a Proxy for Ancient Deposits. Sci Rep 2019; 9:7107. [PMID: 31068615 PMCID: PMC6506468 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43181-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
We constrained the origin and genetic environment of modern iron ooids (sand-sized grains with a core and external cortex of concentric laminae) providing new tools for the interpretation of their fossil counterparts as well as the analogous particles discovered on Mars. Here, we report an exceptional, unique finding of a still active deposit of submillimetric iron ooids, under formation at the seabed at a depth of 80 m over an area characterized by intense hydrothermal activity off Panarea, a volcanic island north of Sicily (Italy). An integrated analysis, carried out by X-ray Powder Diffraction, Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy, X-ray Fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy reveals that Panarea ooids are deposited at the seafloor as concentric laminae of primary goethite around existing nuclei. The process is rapid, and driven by hydrothermal fluids as iron source. A sub-spherical, laminated structure resulted from constant agitation and by degassing of CO2-dominated fluids through seafloor sediments. Our investigations point the hydrothermal processes as responsible for the generation of the Panarea ooids, which are neither diagenetic nor reworked. The presence of ooids at the seawater-sediments interface, in fact, highlights how their development and growth is still ongoing. The proposed results show a new process responsible for ooids formation and gain a new insight into the genesis of iron ooids deposits that are distributed at global scale in both modern and past sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcella Di Bella
- Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV), Sezione di Palermo, Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146, Palermo, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Sabatino
- Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche e Informatiche, Scienze Fisiche e Scienze della Terra (MIFT), Università di Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166S, Agata, Messina, Italy
| | - Simona Quartieri
- Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche e Informatiche, Scienze Fisiche e Scienze della Terra (MIFT), Università di Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166S, Agata, Messina, Italy
| | - Annalisa Ferretti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Geologiche (DSCG), Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Barbara Cavalazzi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali (BiGeA), Università di Bologna, Via Zamboni 67, 40126, Bologna, Italy.,Department of Geology, University of Johannesburg, PO Box 524 Auckland Park, 2006, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Roberto Barbieri
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali (BiGeA), Università di Bologna, Via Zamboni 67, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Frédéric Foucher
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire (CBM), Rue Charles Sadron, 45071, Orléans, Cedex 2, France
| | - Fabio Messori
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Geologiche (DSCG), Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125, Modena, Italy.,Department of Earth Sciences, University of Geneva, Rue des Maraîchers 13, 1205, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Francesco Italiano
- Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV), Sezione di Palermo, Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146, Palermo, Italy.
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8
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McAllister SM, Moore RM, Gartman A, Luther GW, Emerson D, Chan CS. The Fe(II)-oxidizing Zetaproteobacteria: historical, ecological and genomic perspectives. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2019; 95:fiz015. [PMID: 30715272 PMCID: PMC6443915 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiz015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The Zetaproteobacteria are a class of bacteria typically associated with marine Fe(II)-oxidizing environments. First discovered in the hydrothermal vents at Loihi Seamount, Hawaii, they have become model organisms for marine microbial Fe(II) oxidation. In addition to deep sea and shallow hydrothermal vents, Zetaproteobacteria are found in coastal sediments, other marine subsurface environments, steel corrosion biofilms and saline terrestrial springs. Isolates from a range of environments all grow by autotrophic Fe(II) oxidation. Their success lies partly in their microaerophily, which enables them to compete with abiotic Fe(II) oxidation at Fe(II)-rich oxic/anoxic transition zones. To determine the known diversity of the Zetaproteobacteria, we have used 16S rRNA gene sequences to define 59 operational taxonomic units (OTUs), at 97% similarity. While some Zetaproteobacteria taxa appear to be cosmopolitan, others are enriched by specific habitats. OTU networks show that certain Zetaproteobacteria co-exist, sharing compatible niches. These niches may correspond with adaptations to O2, H2 and nitrate availability, based on genomic analyses of metabolic potential. Also, a putative Fe(II) oxidation gene has been found in diverse Zetaproteobacteria taxa, suggesting that the Zetaproteobacteria evolved as Fe(II) oxidation specialists. In all, studies suggest that Zetaproteobacteria are widespread, and therefore may have a broad influence on marine and saline terrestrial Fe cycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean M McAllister
- School of Marine Science and Policy, University of Delaware, 700 Pilottown Road, 204 Cannon Lab, Lewes, Delaware, USA 19958
| | - Ryan M Moore
- Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Delaware, 15 Innovation Way, 205 Delaware Biotechnology Institute, Newark, Delaware, USA 19711
| | - Amy Gartman
- School of Marine Science and Policy, University of Delaware, 700 Pilottown Road, 204 Cannon Lab, Lewes, Delaware, USA 19958
| | - George W Luther
- School of Marine Science and Policy, University of Delaware, 700 Pilottown Road, 204 Cannon Lab, Lewes, Delaware, USA 19958
| | - David Emerson
- Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, 60 Bigelow Drive, East Boothbay, Maine, USA 04544
| | - Clara S Chan
- School of Marine Science and Policy, University of Delaware, 700 Pilottown Road, 204 Cannon Lab, Lewes, Delaware, USA 19958
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Delaware, 101 Penny Hall, Newark, Delaware, USA 19716
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9
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Stewart LC, Stucker VK, Stott MB, de Ronde CEJ. Marine-influenced microbial communities inhabit terrestrial hot springs on a remote island volcano. Extremophiles 2018; 22:687-698. [PMID: 29713821 DOI: 10.1007/s00792-018-1029-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 04/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Raoul Island is a subaerial island volcano approximately 1000 km northeast of New Zealand. Its caldera contains a circumneutral closed-basin volcanic lake and several associated pools, as well as intertidal coastal hot springs, all fed by a hydrothermal system sourced from both meteoric water and seawater. Here, we report on the geochemistry, prokaryotic community diversity, and cultivatable abundance of thermophilic microorganisms of four terrestrial features and one coastal feature on Raoul. Hydrothermal fluid contributions to the volcanic lake and pools make them brackish, and consequently support unusual microbial communities dominated by Planctomycetes, Chloroflexi, Alphaproteobacteria, and Thaumarchaeota, as well as up to 3% of the rare sister phylum to Cyanobacteria, Candidatus Melainabacteria. The dominant taxa are mesophilic to moderately thermophilic, phototrophic, and heterotrophic marine groups related to marine Planctomycetaceae. The coastal hot spring/shallow hydrothermal vent community is similar to other shallow systems in the Western Pacific Ocean, potentially due to proximity and similarities of geochemistry. Although rare in community sequence data, thermophilic methanogens, sulfur-reducers, and iron-reducers are present in culture-based assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy C Stewart
- Marine Geosciences, GNS Science, PO Box 30368, Lower Hutt, 5040, New Zealand.
| | - Valerie K Stucker
- Marine Geosciences, GNS Science, PO Box 30368, Lower Hutt, 5040, New Zealand
| | - Matthew B Stott
- Marine Geosciences, GNS Science, PO Box 30368, Lower Hutt, 5040, New Zealand
- University of Canterbury, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand
| | - Cornel E J de Ronde
- Marine Geosciences, GNS Science, PO Box 30368, Lower Hutt, 5040, New Zealand
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10
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Esposito V, Andaloro F, Canese S, Bortoluzzi G, Bo M, Di Bella M, Italiano F, Sabatino G, Battaglia P, Consoli P, Giordano P, Spagnoli F, La Cono V, Yakimov MM, Scotti G, Romeo T. Exceptional discovery of a shallow-water hydrothermal site in the SW area of Basiluzzo islet (Aeolian archipelago, South Tyrrhenian Sea): An environment to preserve. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0190710. [PMID: 29300784 PMCID: PMC5754086 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0190710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The geological, biological and geochemical features of a particular field of hydrothermal vents, discovered in the Panarea Volcanic Complex during a research survey carried out in 2015, are described for the first time. The site, located at 70–80 m depth off the South-western coast of the islet of Basiluzzo, was named Smoking Land for the presence of a large number of wide and high active chimneys and was characterized in terms of dissolved benthic fluxes, associated macrofauna and megafauna communities and preliminary mineralogy and geochemistry of chimney structures. On the whole field, a total of 39 chimneys, different in size and shape, were closely observed and described; 14 of them showed emission of low temperature hydrothermal fluids of marine origin characterized by acidified chemical conditions. The CTD and benthic chamber measurements highlighted that the Smoking Land is able to form a sea water bottom layer characterized by variable acidity and high DIC and trace elements concentrations; these characteristics weaken moving away from the chimney mouths. The SEM-EDS analysis of the collected solid samples revealed a chimney structure principally composed by amorphous and low crystalline Fe-oxyhydroxides of hydrothermal origins. The ROV explorations revealed a wide coverage of red algae (Peyssonnelia spp.) colonized by the green algae Flabiella petiolata and by suspension feeders, mainly sponges, but also bryozoans, and tubicolous polychaetes. Although novent-exclusive species were identified, the benthic communities found in association to the chimneys included more taxa than those observed in the surrounding no-vent rocky areas. These first findings evidence a submarine dynamic habitat where geological, chemical and biological processes are intimately connected, making the Smoking Land an important site in terms of marine heritage that should be safeguarded and protected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Esposito
- Dipartimento per il monitoraggio e la tutela dell’ambiente e per la conservazione della biodiversità, Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca ambientale (ISPRA), Milazzo, Italy
- Sezione Oceanografia - OGS, Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e Geofisica Sperimentale, Trieste, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Franco Andaloro
- Dipartimento per il monitoraggio e la tutela dell’ambiente e per la conservazione della biodiversità, Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca ambientale (ISPRA), Roma, Italy
- Stazione Zoologia Anton Dohrn, Napoli, Italy
| | - Simonepietro Canese
- Dipartimento per il monitoraggio e la tutela dell’ambiente e per la conservazione della biodiversità, Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca ambientale (ISPRA), Roma, Italy
| | | | - Marzia Bo
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, dell’Ambiente e della Vita, Università degli studi di Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - Marcella Di Bella
- Dipartimento di Fisica e Scienze della Terra, Università di Messina, Messina, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, INGV, Palermo, Italy
| | | | - Giuseppe Sabatino
- Dipartimento di Fisica e Scienze della Terra, Università di Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Pietro Battaglia
- Dipartimento per il monitoraggio e la tutela dell’ambiente e per la conservazione della biodiversità, Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca ambientale (ISPRA), Milazzo, Italy
| | - Pierpaolo Consoli
- Dipartimento per il monitoraggio e la tutela dell’ambiente e per la conservazione della biodiversità, Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca ambientale (ISPRA), Milazzo, Italy
| | | | | | - Violetta La Cono
- Istituto per lo studio dell’Ambiente Marino Costiero, CNR, Messina, Italy
| | - Michail M. Yakimov
- Istituto per lo studio dell’Ambiente Marino Costiero, CNR, Messina, Italy
- Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, BFU, Kaliningrad, Russia
| | - Gianfranco Scotti
- Dipartimento per il monitoraggio e la tutela dell’ambiente e per la conservazione della biodiversità, Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca ambientale (ISPRA), Milazzo, Italy
| | - Teresa Romeo
- Dipartimento per il monitoraggio e la tutela dell’ambiente e per la conservazione della biodiversità, Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca ambientale (ISPRA), Milazzo, Italy
- Stazione Zoologia Anton Dohrn, Napoli, Italy
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