Field Activities by Study Type

1. Field sampling and analyses: Alvin and 2007 ROV cruisePart 1: Overview(a look at the forest, before the trees)

2. Field Activities by Study Type Descriptive studies Species present (and biogeographic patterns) Community descriptions Visitations by mobile fauna Chemistry surveys Geological characterizations Microbial community descriptions Process oriented studies Trophic interactions Growth rates and growth patterns Microbial activities Temporal change Result is a better understanding of the reasons for differences between sites and communities and why they change

3. Field activities by site type Preliminary Survey Sites Inventory of community types Inventory of species present Overview of geology Overview of geochemistry Overview of microbiology Limited quantitative and targeted collections Intensive Study Sites All of the above, and…

4. Field activities by site type • Intensive Study Sites (All of the above, and…) • Chemical surveys nested within community mosaics • Community mosaics, pushcores, and collections nested • within high resolution geological maps from AUV surveys • Time Lapse Camera deployments • Visitation by mobile vagrants and colonists • Imagery of study sites • Trapping of mobile fauna • On and off site • Trophic studies • Within aggregations and links to “normal” fauna • Tubeworm (or coral) growth studies • Changes between years (mosaics and chemistry) • Mussel symbiont studies • More extensive targeted and quantitative collections

5. Field activities by year First field season Work at 4 intensive and 3 preliminary study sites Compose inventories (from collections) Megafauna/Macrofauna Meiofauna Microbiology Geological Construct Maps and Mosaics Chemistry surveys Stain Tubeworms Deploy RTLC systems

6. Field activities by year Second field season Complement and finish all necessary sampling at sites initiated in 2006 Repeat mosaics Repeat Chemistry surveys as appropriate Collect stained tubeworms Collect all deployments Characterize additional sites as time allows.

7. Field sampling and analyses: Alvin and 2007 ROV cruisePart 1: Some Details(a quick look at the trees)

8. Collection and Census of fauna • Quantitative collections whenever possible • Bushmaster (Tubeworms and corals) • Mussel pots (Mussels, clams, and ?) • Targeted collections (manipulators, suction, nets) • Attached fauna • Mobile fauna • Traps, trawling • Imagery • Mosaics • RTLC • Targeted

9. Quantitative collections: Bushmaster • Bushmaster Jr has been used by the JSL’s, Alvin, and Ropos • Bushmaster Jr has been used for vent and seep tubeworms and corals • A single collection from the Juan de Fuca Ridge contained: • 49 distinct taxa • From 8 phyla • 4,329 tubeworms • 95,000 individuals of a snail (Depressigyra globulus) • Over 50,000 individuals of other species

10. Bushmaster Jr. in action

11. Bushmaster(s) in Action

12. Quantitative collections: Mussel Pots • The mussel pots are new, but based on a design used extensively by Dr. Cindy Van Dover • Used by Jason II in the Lau Basin in June • Up to six have been used in a singe dive • The new design is very robust and deploys a ring that allows quantification of “missed” fauna • A single collection from Lau contained: • 76 Ifremeria, 4 Alvinoconcha, and 2 Bathymodiolus (all foundation species • At least 9 other species of megafauna (5 gastropods, 2 crustaceans, and 2 polychaetes) • A bunch more… (small stuff is not sorted yet)

13. A mussel pot in action

14. Quantitative collections: Mussel Pots

15. Processing the quantitative collections • Identification, enumeration and biomass of all fauna (Wet weight and AFDW) • Additional measurements/analyses of foundation species • (Surface area, Size frequency) • Subsampling • Taxonomy/systematics (molecular and classical) • Phylogenetics/population genetics • Trophic studies • Symbiont studies (types, phylogenetics)

16. Processing the quantitative collections • Shipboard processing • Preliminary identifications • Sorting and enumeration as time allows • Wet Weights (On MCSB as time allows) • Subsampling • Laboratory processing • Final identifications • Additional measurements of foundation species • (and processing of additional small attached species) • AFDW of selected individuals for conversion factors

17. Taxonomy+ (phylogenetics/pop genetics) • Key Groups for Biogeography • Tubeworms (siboglinids) and symbionts (PSU) • Mussels (PSU) • Mussel symbionts (Nicole Dublier) • Polynoid polychaetes (Stephane Hourdez) • Vesicomyid clams and limpets (Robert Vrijenhoek) • Hard corals (Lophelia in particular; Cheryl Morrison) • Shrimp (Tim Shank) • Ophiuroids (Sabine Stohr)

18. Taxonomy+ (phylogenetics/pop gen) • Our general approach • Start with standard genes that would identify new species (eg; mtCOI, mt16S for animals, 16S for symbionts). • If new group, then additional (more conserved) genes to place it appropriately (rDNA 18S, 28S, EF1alpha) • If known species with potential geographic isolation, then additional (more variable) genes to constrain degree of geographic isolation (mtND4, ITS2, microsatallites, introns)

19. Analyses of Communities • Community Trophic Structure • Tissue stable C, N and S content • Knowledge of feeding mode (when known) • Interpreted in the context of quantitative data • Supplemented by analysis of interactions with more mobile background fauna • Result will be well constrained food webs

20. Analyses of Communities Correlations between community type and density to: • Depth • Geography • Geophysics • Geochemistry • Microbiology • Gas chemistry

21. Analyses of Communities • Comparisons between communities: • Site to site • Upper slope to lower slope • GoM to Atlantic (and the rest of the world) • Tubeworms to mussels to corals etc. • Young to old (successional changes?)

22. Temporal studies • Sclerochronology (Dr. R. E. Dodge) • Vestimentiferan growth rates and ages • Time Lapse Cameras • Establishment of long term monitoring stations (mosaics and chemistry)

23. Lophelia pertusa BranchCollected in 1886 Aboard the Steamer Albatross Sclerochronology

24. Lophelia pertusasectioned longitudinally (1 mm thick) Sclerochronology REFLECTIVE TRANSMISSIVE X-RADIOGRAPHIC

25. Sclerochronology Three controls on carbonate stable isotopes in Lophelia skeleton

26. Vestimentiferan Growth The stainer in action

27. Growth data

28. ULS Tubeworm Growth Models L. luymesi S. jonesi

29. Submergence asset Pros and Cons • Alvin and Jason II were both designed and used extensively for science, and have inherent advantages as a result: • Very high quality navigation (general and inertial) • Very experienced pilots for delicate work • One “strong” and one force-feedback manipulator • Several excellent imaging systems • Very adaptable work platforms • Extensive experience with user-supplied equipment

30. Submergence asset Pros and Cons • Alvin over Jason II • We know how to use it (experience) • PI spatial understanding of sites (two eyes and 3D vision) • Heavy lifting • More work accomplished per unit bottom time • Jason II over Alvin • Significantly increased bottom time (24 hr operations) • Closed loop navigational control for mosaics/surveys • Observers can rotate during a dive • No HOV related safety concerns • (limitations on diving near a platform, working with implodable volumes, untested gear, etc.)