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Hydrothermal plumes transport reduced chemical species and metals into the open ocean. Despite their considerable spatial scale and impact on biogeochemical cycles, niche differentiation of abundant microbial clades is poorly understood. Here, we analyzed the microbial ecology of two bathy- (Brothers volcano; BrV-cone and northwest caldera; NWC) and a mesopelagic (Macauley volcano; McV) plumes on the Kermadec intra-oceanic arc in the South Pacific Ocean. The microbial community structure, determined by a combination of 16S rRNA gene, fluorescence in situ hybridization and metagenome analysis, was similar to the communities observed in other sulfur-rich plumes. This includes a dominance of the vent characteristic SUP05 clade (up to 22% in McV and 51% in BrV). In each of the three plumes analyzed, the community was dominated by a different yet uncultivated chemoautotrophic SUP05 species, here, provisionally named, Candidatus Thioglobus vadi (McV), Candidatus Thioglobus vulcanius (BrV-cone) and Candidatus Thioglobus plumae (BrV-NWC). Statistical analyses, genomic potential and mRNA expression profiles suggested a SUP05 niche partitioning based on sulfide and iron concentration as well as water depth. A fourth SUP05 species was present at low frequency throughout investigated plume samples and may be capable of heterotrophic or mixotrophic growth. Taken together, we propose that small variations in environmental parameters and depth drive SUP05 niche partitioning in hydrothermal plumes., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

The microbial community composition and its functionality was assessed for hydrothermal fluids and volcanic ash sediments from Haungaroa and hydrothermal fluids from the Brothers volcano in the Kermadec island arc (New Zealand). The Haungaroa volcanic ash sediments were dominated by epsilonproteobacterial Sulfurovum sp. Ratios of electron donor consumption to CO2 fixation from respective sediment incubations indicated that sulfide oxidation appeared to fuel autotrophic CO2 fixation, coinciding with thermodynamic estimates predicting sulfide oxidation as the major energy source in the environment. Transcript analyses with the sulfide-supplemented sediment slurries demonstrated that Sulfurovum prevailed in the experiments as well. Hence, our sediment incubations appeared to simulate environmental conditions well suggesting that sulfide oxidation catalyzed by Sulfurovum members drive biomass synthesis in the volcanic ash sediments. For the Haungaroa fluids no inorganic electron donor and responsible microorganisms could be identified that clearly stimulated autotrophic CO2 fixation. In the Brothers hydrothermal fluids Sulfurimonas (49%) and Hydrogenovibrio/Thiomicrospira (15%) species prevailed. Respective fluid incubations exhibited highest autotrophic CO2 fixation if supplemented with iron(II) or hydrogen. Likewise catabolic energy calculations predicted primarily iron(II) but also hydrogen oxidation as major energy sources in the natural fluids. According to transcript analyses with material from the incubation experiments Thiomicrospira/Hydrogenovibrio species dominated, outcompeting Sulfurimonas. Given that experimental conditions likely only simulated environmental conditions that cause Thiomicrospira/Hydrogenovibrio but not Sulfurimonas to thrive, it remains unclear which environmental parameters determine Sulfurimonas' dominance in the Brothers natural hydrothermal fluids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrothermal vents at the seafloor release large volumes of metal-rich fluids into the ocean. Some of these metals are biologically essential (such as Fe), while others may be toxic (e.g. Cu). Organisms living at these habitats produce small organic molecules, ligands that are able to form complexes with different metals, to either enhance their bioavailability or to decrease their toxicity. While some deep-sea vents have been studied with respect to metal complexation, comparable studies at shallow marine hydrothermal vent systems are rather rare. In this study, total dissolved Cu concentrations ([Cu] T ) and corresponding Cu binding ligand concentrations ([L] Cu ) at the shallow water hydrothermal vent fields off the coast of Milos (Greece), Dominica (Lesser Antilles) and the Bay of Plenty (New Zealand) were examined by a voltammetric ligand titration, using competitive ligand equilibration–adsorptive stripping voltammetry (CLE–AdCSV). Milos, Dominica and the Bay of Plenty are three very different environments and our data show that they are relatively depleted in total dissolved Cu, compared to deep-sea hydrothermal vents where [Cu] T and [L] Cu concentrations up to 400 nM and 4000 nM have been found, respectively. In this data set, [Cu] T rises up to 21.53 nM, however, most samples are in the range of 0.5 nM–3 nM. [L] Cu varies between 2.07 nM and 23.9 nM, with one exception, reaching 56.8 nM. Conditional stability constants (Log K) range between 11.57 and 14.01. Assuming that the three investigated sites are representative for shallow marine hydrothermal vents, the Cu-flux into the ocean due to complexation appears to be relatively low compared to deep-sea systems. Our data indicate a stable complexation of Cu in most cases, which may lower the toxic effect of Cu on these mixed photic–chemosynthetic communities. However one pore water sample from Dominica showed an excess [Cu] T over [L] Cu , which would create a highly toxic environment for most marine organisms. We further show that ligand–Cu ratios and complex stability constants are in a similar range as the ones at deep-sea vents, which may indicate similar complexation parameters and processes at shallow and deep-sea hydrothermal vents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrothermal venting is an important transfer process of energy and elements between the Earth's solid material and the oceans. Compared to mid-ocean-ridge hydrothermal vent fields, those at intra-oceanic island arcs are typically in shallower water depth and have a more variable geochemical fluid composition. Biologically essential trace elements (such as Fe and Mn) are generally elevated in fluids of both deep and shallow hydrothermal vent fields, while vents at shallower water depth influence the photic zone more directly and thus are potentially more relevant for marine primary productivity. However, fluid flux estimations of island arc hydrothermal systems into the surrounding water column are scarce. This study (I) presents a method based on short-lived radium isotopes to estimate submarine hydrothermal discharge (SHD), (II) applies this method at Brothers volcano in the southern Kermadec arc, located northeast of New Zealand, and (III) gives dissolved Fe, Mn and He isotope flux estimates for the Earth´s longest intra-oceanic island arc, the Kermadec arc. The comparison between measured inert He isotope concentrations in the plume with calculated concentrations based on Ra isotopes matched reasonably well, which supports the use of a Ra-based discharge model. Overall, this study represents a novel approach to assess fluid and thus trace element fluxes from one hydrothermal vent field, which can be applied in future studies on various hydrothermal systems to improve geochemical models of element cycling in the ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The naturally occurring radium (Ra) isotope quartet was measured for the first time at an intraoceanic arc hydrothermal setting along the Kermadec Island Arc (SW Pacific). 224Ra (3.7 d half life) and 223Ra (11.4 d half life) are assumed to be tracers solely originating from hydrothermal discharge and have been used to resolve near-field hydrothermal plume dynamics by applying both advection and eddy diffusion-based dispersion models. Assuming dominant advective processes, we identified different horizontal plume age structures at Brothers volcano, with a slow moving plume inside the caldera (0.060 cm/s) and a faster moving plume outside the caldera (0.323 cm/s), indicating a longer plume residence time within the caldera structure. The decreasing trend in Ra activity also allows the calculation of horizontal eddy diffusion coefficients inside and outside of the caldera, with 0.164 m2/s and 3.545 m2/s for 224Ra, respectively. These trends are in accordance with the radial horizontal eddy diffusion model. Our results reveal that net advection might not necessarily play a major role at Brothers, as radial horizontal eddy diffusion reproduces the observed Ra activity distribution to the same degree. Additional model simulations based on a combination of advection and diffusion, favor slow net advection to explain the Ra activity distribution. Within the rising non-buoyant plume, Ra isotopes suggested constant dilution along the first 170 m of the vertical water column and a vertical transport velocity on the order of 0.156 cm/s for altitudes up to 150 m above the vent and around 0.004 cm/s for altitudes above 150 m. When a common source of diffuse and focused venting is assumed and only small amounts of Ra are added to the ascending plume, due to recoil originating from high water to rock ratios, fluids from diffuse vents show a slower migration rate through the subsurface than fluids from focused vents. Our data imply that the fluids from diffuse vents needed approximately five days longer to percolate through the underlying subsurface to reach the water column plume, compared to the fluids from direct vents which emanate through chimney structures. This study demonstrates the potential of short-lived Ra isotopes as tracers of near-field plume dynamics, which will improve our understanding of hydrothermal vents as sources for various trace elements to the global ocean. • First implementation of Ra isotopes for hydrothermal plume studies on intraoceanic arc environments at the Kermadec Arc • Ra-based plume ages suggest a longer residence time within the Brothers volcano caldera than outside • Vertical and horizontal velocities of the dispersing plume were determined from short-lived Ra isotopes • Due to oscillating currents and time integrated Ra signals, transport can be modeled by eddy diffusion as well as advection • Ra isotopes help to distinguish diffuse flow (indirect fluid pathway, aged fluid) and fast focused venting (young fluid) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrothermal systems located at intra-oceanic volcanic arcs and in back-arc basins reveal a complex sulfur cycling. Here we present multiple sulfur isotope data for dissolved sulfide and sulfate in hydrothermal fluids from vent sites at the southern Kermadec and the northern Tonga island arcs and the NE Lau Basin. δ34S values for H 2 S range from −7.4 to +4.6‰ for hydrothermal fluids from arc volcanoes and from +0.2 to +4.5‰ for those located in the NE Lau Basin. Ranges for Δ33S values are −0.010 to +0.033‰ and −0.016 to +0.011‰, respectively. SO 4 2− in fluids from hydrothermal vents at Macauley caldera, the Brothers volcanic cones, and Niua North show ranges in δ34S and Δ33S from +16.7 to +24.7‰ and +0.013 to +0.049‰. The multiple sulfur isotope data suggest a contribution to the hydrothermal sulfur budget from the disproportionation of magmatic SO 2 for most hydrothermal vent sites from the Kermadec arc, whereas H 2 S at the NE Lau Basin vent sites is thought to result mainly from two-component mixing between host rock-derived sulfur and seawater sulfate with an additional local contribution from SO 2 disproportionation. Data from Brothers NW Caldera suggest isotope exchange between H 2 S and SO 4 2−, whereas lowering of fluid acidity by dissolution of mineral phases occurs at the Brothers Lower Cone. δ34S values between −8.5 and +3.1‰ and Δ33S values between +0.009 and +0.036‰ for elemental sulfur indicate changing redox conditions and/or a decrease of magmatic SO 2 in the hydrothermal fluids at Macauley, Haungaroa, Brothers Lower Cone, Niua North and Niuatahi. We conclude that acid sulfate venting in particular shows the highest variability in sulfur isotopic composition of hydrothermal sulfur, irrespective of whether located at an intra-oceanic arc or in a back-arc basin. Sulfur isotope heterogeneity is due to variable contributions from SO 2 disproportionation and host rock compositions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]