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The main objective of the present study was to investigate invertebrate colonization processes at deep-sea hydrothermal vents in response to environmental factors and to the presence of complex artificial substrata (i.e., synthetic sponges). We set out a pilot experiment at 1700 m depth on the Lucky Strike vent field (Eiffel Tower, Mid-Atlantic Ridge). Synthetic sponges were deployed in 2011 at five sites along a gradient of hydrothermal activity and were recovered in 2013, and the composition of macro- and meiofauna was assessed on four of them. The influence of temperature and fluid inputs on colonizer faunal abundance and diversity was analyzed. Faunal abundance and diversity decreased with increasing distance from vent emission. The colonizers were represented by a subset of species characterizing the natural populations at the Eiffel Tower edifice. Some taxa (e.g., pycnogonids, ophiuroids, cnidarians, foraminiferans) represented new records not yet found on deployed substrata on the Eiffel Tower. Synthetic sponges harbored a high percentage (from 17.5% to 55%) of juveniles and larval stages of polychaetes, molluscs, and copepods. A mature nematode community (mainly Cephalochaetosoma and Halomonhystera) in a reproductive stage was found. Variability in faunal composition was significantly correlated with distance from fluid emission. We hypothesize that the complex structure of inorganic sponge substrata may have favored settlement of juveniles and larvae. Sponge substrata may, therefore, help sample a wider range of organisms than other substrata, and, thereby, provide a more complete picture of vent biodiversity. The results provided in this study might improve our understanding of mechanisms that govern faunal colonization processes at vents.

Extreme marine environments cover more than 50% of the Earth’s surface and offer many opportunities for investigating the biological responses and adaptations of organisms to stressful life conditions. Extreme marine environments are sometimes associated with ephemeral and unstable ecosystems, but can host abundant, often endemic and well-adapted meiofaunal species. In this review, we present an integrated view of the biodiversity, ecology and physiological responses of marine meiofauna inhabiting several extreme marine environments (mangroves, submarine caves, Polar ecosystems, hypersaline areas, hypoxic/anoxic environments, hydrothermal vents, cold seeps, carcasses/sunken woods, deep-sea canyons, deep hypersaline anoxic basins [DHABs] and hadal zones). Foraminiferans, nematodes and copepods are abundant in almost all of these habitats and are dominant in deep-sea ecosystems. The presence and dominance of some other taxa that are normally less common may be typical of certain extreme conditions. Kinorhynchs are particularly well adapted to cold seeps and other environments that experience drastic changes in salinity, rotifers are well represented in polar ecosystems and loriciferans seem to be the only metazoan able to survive multiple stressors in DHABs. As well as natural processes, human activities may generate stressful conditions, including deoxygenation, acidification and rises in temperature. The behaviour and physiology of different meiofaunal taxa, such as some foraminiferans, nematode and copepod species, can provide vital information on how organisms may respond to these challenges and can provide a warning signal of anthropogenic impacts. From an evolutionary perspective, the discovery of new meiofauna taxa from extreme environments very often sheds light on phylogenetic relationships, while understanding how meiofaunal organisms are able to survive or even flourish in these conditions can explain evolutionary pathways. Finally, there are multiple poten

Extreme marine environments cover more than 50% of the Earth’s surface and offer many opportunities for investigating the biological responses and adaptations of organisms to stressful life conditions. Extreme marine environments are sometimes associated with ephemeral and unstable ecosystems, but can host abundant, often endemic and well-adapted meiofaunal species. In this review, we present an integrated view of the biodiversity, ecology and physiological responses of marine meiofauna inhabiting several extreme marine environments (mangroves, submarine caves, Polar ecosystems, hypersaline areas, hypoxic/anoxic environments, hydrothermal vents, cold seeps, carcasses/sunken woods, deep-sea canyons, deep hypersaline anoxic basins [DHABs] and hadal zones). Foraminiferans, nematodes and copepods are abundant in almost all of these habitats and are dominant in deep-sea ecosystems. The presence and dominance of some other taxa that are normally less common may be typical of certain extreme conditions. Kinorhynchs are particularly well adapted to cold seeps and other environments that experience drastic changes in salinity, rotifers are well represented in polar ecosystems and loriciferans seem to be the only metazoan able to survive multiple stressors in DHABs. As well as natural processes, human activities may generate stressful conditions, including deoxygenation, acidification and rises in temperature. The behaviour and physiology of different meiofaunal taxa, such as some foraminiferans, nematode and copepod species, can provide vital information on how organisms may respond to these challenges and can provide a warning signal of anthropogenic impacts. From an evolutionary perspective, the discovery of new meiofauna taxa from extreme environments very often sheds light on phylogenetic relationships, while understanding how meiofaunal organisms are able to survive or even flourish in these conditions can explain evolutionary pathways. Finally, there are multiple poten

The main objective of the present study was to investigate invertebrate colonization processes at deep-sea hydrothermal vents in response to environmental factors and to the presence of complex artificial substrata (i.e., synthetic sponges). We set out a pilot experiment at 1700 m depth on the Lucky Strike vent field (Eiffel Tower, Mid-Atlantic Ridge). Synthetic sponges were deployed in 2011 at five sites along a gradient of hydrothermal activity and were recovered in 2013, and the composition of macro- and meiofauna was assessed on four of them. The influence of temperature and fluid inputs on colonizer faunal abundance and diversity was analyzed. Faunal abundance and diversity decreased with increasing distance from vent emission. The colonizers were represented by a subset of species characterizing the natural populations at the Eiffel Tower edifice. Some taxa (e.g., pycnogonids, ophiuroids, cnidarians, foraminiferans) represented new records not yet found on deployed substrata on the Eiffel Tower. Synthetic sponges harbored a high percentage (from 17.5% to 55%) of juveniles and larval stages of polychaetes, molluscs, and copepods. A mature nematode community (mainly Cephalochaetosoma and Halomonhystera) in a reproductive stage was found. Variability in faunal composition was significantly correlated with distance from fluid emission. We hypothesize that the complex structure of inorganic sponge substrata may have favored settlement of juveniles and larvae. Sponge substrata may, therefore, help sample a wider range of organisms than other substrata, and, thereby, provide a more complete picture of vent biodiversity. The results provided in this study might improve our understanding of mechanisms that govern faunal colonization processes at vents.

Extreme marine environments cover more than 50% of the Earth’s surface and offer many opportunities for investigating the biological responses and adaptations of organisms to stressful life conditions. Extreme marine environments are sometimes associated with ephemeral and unstable ecosystems, but can host abundant, often endemic and well-adapted meiofaunal species. In this review, we present an integrated view of the biodiversity, ecology and physiological responses of marine meiofauna inhabiting several extreme marine environments (mangroves, submarine caves, Polar ecosystems, hypersaline areas, hypoxic/anoxic environments, hydrothermal vents, cold seeps, carcasses/sunken woods, deep-sea canyons, deep hypersaline anoxic basins [DHABs] and hadal zones). Foraminiferans, nematodes and copepods are abundant in almost all of these habitats and are dominant in deep-sea ecosystems. The presence and dominance of some other taxa that are normally less common may be typical of certain extreme conditions. Kinorhynchs are particularly well adapted to cold seeps and other environments that experience drastic changes in salinity, rotifers are well represented in polar ecosystems and loriciferans seem to be the only metazoan able to survive multiple stressors in DHABs. As well as natural processes, human activities may generate stressful conditions, including deoxygenation, acidification and rises in temperature. The behaviour and physiology of different meiofaunal taxa, such as some foraminiferans, nematode and copepod species, can provide vital information on how organisms may respond to these challenges and can provide a warning signal of anthropogenic impacts. From an evolutionary perspective, the discovery of new meiofauna taxa from extreme environments very often sheds light on phylogenetic relationships, while understanding how meiofaunal organisms are able to survive or even flourish in these conditions can explain evolutionary pathways. Finally, there are multiple poten

The main objective of the present study was to investigate invertebrate colonization processes at deep-sea hydrothermal vents in response to environmental factors and to the presence of complex artificial substrata (i.e., synthetic sponges). We set out a pilot experiment at 1700 m depth on the Lucky Strike vent field (Eiffel Tower, Mid-Atlantic Ridge). Synthetic sponges were deployed in 2011 at five sites along a gradient of hydrothermal activity and were recovered in 2013, and the composition of macro- and meiofauna was assessed on four of them. The influence of temperature and fluid inputs on colonizer faunal abundance and diversity was analyzed. Faunal abundance and diversity decreased with increasing distance from vent emission. The colonizers were represented by a subset of species characterizing the natural populations at the Eiffel Tower edifice. Some taxa (e.g., pycnogonids, ophiuroids, cnidarians, foraminiferans) represented new records not yet found on deployed substrata on the Eiffel Tower. Synthetic sponges harbored a high percentage (from 17.5% to 55%) of juveniles and larval stages of polychaetes, molluscs, and copepods. A mature nematode community (mainly Cephalochaetosoma and Halomonhystera) in a reproductive stage was found. Variability in faunal composition was significantly correlated with distance from fluid emission. We hypothesize that the complex structure of inorganic sponge substrata may have favored settlement of juveniles and larvae. Sponge substrata may, therefore, help sample a wider range of organisms than other substrata, and, thereby, provide a more complete picture of vent biodiversity. The results provided in this study might improve our understanding of mechanisms that govern faunal colonization processes at vents.

Despite the fragmented nature of hydrothermal vent (HV) fields, nascent vent sites are rapidly colonized by a pool of regional species. While succession of large animals at vents is relatively well established, we lack information on the associated meiofauna, in particular, on nematodes. The aim of the present study is to investigate the process of colonisation after 9 months of organic (wood and bone) and inorganic (slate) substrata by nematode assemblages deployed at the Eiffel Tower hydrothermal edifice on the Lucky Strike vent field on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR), at varying distances from visible hydrothermal activity. Abundance, biomass and diversity of colonising nematodes were compared with the results from an earlier similar two-year experiment. Near the vents, nematodes preferred inorganic substrata while in areas not influenced by vent activity, organic substrata were preferred. Nematode females dominated at almost all sites while numerous females at the ovigerous stage and juveniles were reported near the vent emissions, suggesting that nematode populations reproduce well after just 9 months. Our nine-month experiment on the MAR showed that the type of substratum influenced significantly the composition of colonising nematodes, while after two years, the community structure was instead influenced by hydrothermal activity.

Our planet is changing, and one of the most pressing challenges facing the scientific community revolves around understanding how ecological communities respond to global changes. From coastal to deep-sea ecosystems, ecologists are exploring new areas of research to find model organisms that help predict the future of life on our planet. Among the different categories of organisms, meiofauna offer several advantages for the study of marine benthic ecosystems. This paper reviews the advances in the study of meiofauna with regard to climate change and anthropogenic impacts. Four taxonomic groups are valuable for predicting global changes: foraminifers (especially calcareous forms), nematodes, copepods and ostracods. Environmental variables are fundamental in the interpretation of meiofaunal patterns and multistressor experiments are more informative than single stressor ones, revealing complex ecological and biological interactions. Global change has a general negative effect on meiofauna, with important consequences on benthic food webs. However, some meiofaunal species can be favoured by the extreme conditions induced by global change, as they can exhibit remarkable physiological adaptations. This review highlights the need to incorporate studies on taxonomy, genetics and function of meiofaunal taxa into global change impact research.

Despite the fragmented nature of hydrothermal vent (HV) fields, nascent vent sites are rapidly colonized by a pool of regional species. While succession of large animals at vents is relatively well established, we lack information on the associated meiofauna, in particular, on nematodes. The aim of the present study is to investigate the process of colonisation after 9 months of organic (wood and bone) and inorganic (slate) substrata by nematode assemblages deployed at the Eiffel Tower hydrothermal edifice on the Lucky Strike vent field on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR), at varying distances from visible hydrothermal activity. Abundance, biomass and diversity of colonising nematodes were compared with the results from an earlier similar two-year experiment. Near the vents, nematodes preferred inorganic substrata while in areas not influenced by vent activity, organic substrata were preferred. Nematode females dominated at almost all sites while numerous females at the ovigerous stage and juveniles were reported near the vent emissions, suggesting that nematode populations reproduce well after just 9 months. Our nine-month experiment on the MAR showed that the type of substratum influenced significantly the composition of colonising nematodes, while after two years, the community structure was instead influenced by hydrothermal activity.

Our planet is changing, and one of the most pressing challenges facing the scientific community revolves around understanding how ecological communities respond to global changes. From coastal to deep-sea ecosystems, ecologists are exploring new areas of research to find model organisms that help predict the future of life on our planet. Among the different categories of organisms, meiofauna offer several advantages for the study of marine benthic ecosystems. This paper reviews the advances in the study of meiofauna with regard to climate change and anthropogenic impacts. Four taxonomic groups are valuable for predicting global changes: foraminifers (especially calcareous forms), nematodes, copepods and ostracods. Environmental variables are fundamental in the interpretation of meiofaunal patterns and multistressor experiments are more informative than single stressor ones, revealing complex ecological and biological interactions. Global change has a general negative effect on meiofauna, with important consequences on benthic food webs. However, some meiofaunal species can be favoured by the extreme conditions induced by global change, as they can exhibit remarkable physiological adaptations. This review highlights the need to incorporate studies on taxonomy, genetics and function of meiofaunal taxa into global change impact research.

Despite the fragmented nature of hydrothermal vent (HV) fields, nascent vent sites are rapidly colonized by a pool of regional species. While succession of large animals at vents is relatively well established, we lack information on the associated meiofauna, in particular, on nematodes. The aim of the present study is to investigate the process of colonisation after 9 months of organic (wood and bone) and inorganic (slate) substrata by nematode assemblages deployed at the Eiffel Tower hydrothermal edifice on the Lucky Strike vent field on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR), at varying distances from visible hydrothermal activity. Abundance, biomass and diversity of colonising nematodes were compared with the results from an earlier similar two-year experiment. Near the vents, nematodes preferred inorganic substrata while in areas not influenced by vent activity, organic substrata were preferred. Nematode females dominated at almost all sites while numerous females at the ovigerous stage and juveniles were reported near the vent emissions, suggesting that nematode populations reproduce well after just 9 months. Our nine-month experiment on the MAR showed that the type of substratum influenced significantly the composition of colonising nematodes, while after two years, the community structure was instead influenced by hydrothermal activity.

Our planet is changing, and one of the most pressing challenges facing the scientific community revolves around understanding how ecological communities respond to global changes. From coastal to deep-sea ecosystems, ecologists are exploring new areas of research to find model organisms that help predict the future of life on our planet. Among the different categories of organisms, meiofauna offer several advantages for the study of marine benthic ecosystems. This paper reviews the advances in the study of meiofauna with regard to climate change and anthropogenic impacts. Four taxonomic groups are valuable for predicting global changes: foraminifers (especially calcareous forms), nematodes, copepods and ostracods. Environmental variables are fundamental in the interpretation of meiofaunal patterns and multistressor experiments are more informative than single stressor ones, revealing complex ecological and biological interactions. Global change has a general negative effect on meiofauna, with important consequences on benthic food webs. However, some meiofaunal species can be favoured by the extreme conditions induced by global change, as they can exhibit remarkable physiological adaptations. This review highlights the need to incorporate studies on taxonomy, genetics and function of meiofaunal taxa into global change impact research.