Title: Deep Sea
1016b
Deep Sea
2Deep Sea
3Ocean Zones
photic
100m
dysphotic
aphotic
4Deep Ocean Characteristics
- Cold
- Still
- Stable
- Dark
- Essentially no productivity
- Sparse Life
- Extremely high pressure
- Little food
5Potential Food Source for Deep Sea Organisms
Deep sea orgs are dependant upon surface
production from
- Dead phytoplankton, zooplankton, fish, mammals
- Fecal pellets and crustacean molts
- Macrophyte detritus
- Animal migrations
6Potential food source for deep sea organisms
7Whale Fall i.e., marine snow
Scavengers can feed on carcass in less than 6
months
8Factors affecting organic material reaching the
sea floor
- Storms
- Seasonal variation
9Hydrothermal Vents
10Ocean Zones
photic
100m
dysphotic
aphotic
11Mapping Hydrothermal Vents
12Hydrothermal Vents
- Ballard Grassle (1977)- Alvin to Galapagos
- Sulfur-rich vents 660 oF, but quickly cool to 73
oF - Thermophilic bacteria associated with vent
communities
13Location of Vents
Hydrothermal vents found at mid-ocean ridge
spreading centers.
14Active hydrothermal vents were first discovered
at Loihi in the late 1980's
15- 15 mi S.E. of Kilauea
- 3,178 ft below sea level
- Will reach sea level in 10,000 yrs
Loihi
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17Loihi
18Formation of Vents
- Cold seawater sinks into cracks deep into ocean
floor - Water heated by magma rises and leaches out
minerals from surrounding rocks - The water emerges from vents and precipitates out
minerals
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20Alvin
21Alvin with Temperature Probe
22Hydrothermal Vent Communities
Tube worms- pogonophorans
- Other orgs
- Calyptogena- large white clam
- Large crabs
- Sea anemones
- Shrimp
23Hydrothermal Vent Communities
- Support communities with high biomass, but low
diversity - Primary producers are chemosynthetic bacteria
- 90 endemism
- Communities are small (25-60m in diameter)
24Chemosynthetic Bacteria
Chemosynthesis Oxygen hydrogen sulfide water
carbon dioxide sugar sulfuric acid 602
6H2S 6H20 6C02 C6H12O6 6H2S04
25Photosynthesis vs Chemosynthesis
Photosynthesis 6H2O 6CO2 nutrients light
energy C6H12O6 6O2 Chemosynthesis 602
6H2S 6H20 6C02 C6H12O6 6H2S04
26- Where are hydrothermal vents located?
- How do they form?
- Why doesnt the vent water boil?
- Describe the chemosynthetic bacteria's
relationship with the vent and other animals
living near the vent.