Biodiversity and Succession in the Deep OceanBy Group B21: Brendan Schmidt, Sam Starcevic, Jimmy Nguyen

Introduction: Ecological Succession

Primary succession

Secondary succession

Ex: lava flow vs. forest fire

Source: http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/9i.html

Introduction: Hydrothermal Vents

Key role in evolution

Hot beds of bacterial activity

Hot vents each have a lifetime and eventually become inactive

Source: http://www.ceoe.udel.edu/deepsea/level-2/geology/vents.html

Introduction: Sylvan et al. Experiment

Provide evidence that ecological succession occurs at hydrothermal vents after active state

Two sequencing techniques

Comparison of biodiversity of inactive and active vents

Source: http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/pubs/outstand/embl1429/north.shtml

Rarefaction Curves Biodiversity of Inactive Vents Comparison to Active Vents

Data/Results

Source: http://mbio.asm.org/content/3/1/e00279-11.full.pdf+html

Data/Results

Bacterial Populations are Significantly Different

Alpha-, Beta-, Delta-, and Gammaproteobacteria dominate

Lack of Epsilonproteobacteria and Aquificae

Source: http://mbio.asm.org/content/3/1/e00279-11.full.pdf+html

What Does it Mean? Proteobacteria in

vents recovered after cessation of venting

Composition different from active vents

Evidence reveals diverse set of geochemical transformations

Source: http://mbio.asm.org/content/3/1/e00279-11.full

Conclusion Like in Jurassic

Park, Life finds a way.

Source: http://thatwasjunk.com/2010/12/27/my-favorite-movies-7-jurassic-park/

Literature Citations Sylvan JB, Toner BM, Edwards KJ. 2012. Life and death

of deep-sea vents: bacterial diversity and ecosystem succession on inactive hydrothermal sulfides. mBio 3(1):e00279-11. doi:10.1128/mBio.00279-11.

. "Ecological Succession." . Pennsylvania State University, 2002. Web. 29 Sep 2012. <http://www.psu.edu/dept/nkbiology/naturetrail/succession.htm>.

. "Hydrothermal Vents." Voyage to the Deep. University of Delaware College of Marine Studies, n.d. Web. 29 Sep 2012. <http://www.ceoe.udel.edu/deepsea/level-2/geology/vents.html>.