Environmental and Ecological Impact on Deep-sea Environment from Deep-sea Hydrothermal System

Abstract

Hydrothermal circulations supply a huge amount of chemical species into the deep sea. More than 99% of chemical species emitted from high-temperature hydrothermal fluids flow into the deep sea and construct deep-sea hydrothermal plumes. Observations of hydrothermal plumes have led studies of deep-sea hydrothermal vents, such as locating deep-sea hydrothermal vents, locating deep-sea volcanic eruptions, and calculating geochemical fluxes from sub-seafloor to deep ocean. Hydrothermal plumes affect the microbial community in deep seas by supplying many reduced chemicals, which are possible energy sources of chemolithotrophic microbes. This paper (1) reviews physical, chemical, biological studies of hydrothermal plumes and (2) discusses novel field survey technology and ecological infection of sub-seafloor to the deep-sea environment.