Disturbances at Hydrothermal Vents/Cold Seeps from the Deep to the Marine Shallows: an Holistic Approach to Marine Life

Seafloor fluid and gas emissions were shown to be oceanographically widespread as researchers are still discovering new shallow and deep water hydrothermal vents and cold seeps (further on called HV/CS). The vent activities change with locality and time, and why certain organisms can adapt there largely remains to be discovered. Seafloor seep emissions play a critical role in global biogeochemical cycles, but also contribute to the development of economically important mineral deposits that are increasingly targeted for exploitation. HV/CS

host unique microbiological and faunal communities that provide clues to life on early Earth, and

seafloor fluid and gas emissions play a complex role in microbial dispersal, ocean chemistry,

plankton and benthos adaptation to these unique environments, their dynamics and evolution,

and to some extend the global climate. This Research Topic will address knowledge gaps by linking

geochemistry, physics and geology of seafloor emissions, with macro/ microbiology, and explore

the economic potential, conservation efforts, risk assessments, as well as the sustainable development of HV/CS.



Since most aspects of submarine HV/CS seafloor activities still remain unknown we have limited

understanding of how these systems interact with and influence the broader ocean, recent

explorations are illuminating a causal link between the solid earth and ocean function. We still

know little about these ecosystems that every survey and investigation of these communities

represents a substantial and valuable gain in knowledge. This Research Topic welcomes studies

from a broad range of HV/CS environments worldwide, from the deep sea to the marine shallows

and from a broad range of methods – e.g. from biogeochemical measurements to multiomics.



Contributions from original research, perspectives, reviews, mini-reviews, and opinion papers are

welcome but are not limited to issues such as:



- Multidisciplinary studies linking chemistry, physics, hydrology and/or geology of HV/CS to

micro-/macrobiota

- Economics of exploiting minerals/gases associated with HV/CS

- Conservation and management principles for extreme habitats HV/CS at the seafloor

- Role of seafloor emissions on ocean chemistry and global biogeochemical cycles including

interaction with living beings

- New discoveries of hydrothermal or cold seep fields and analysis of seep geological drivers

and biological interactions

- Conservation of selected HV/CS sites as marine reserves and as areas of relatively pristine

studies for long-term scientific research is also important before commercial exploitation

of these submarine resources is considered

- Lateral and vertical transport mechanisms of HV/CS plumes into the ocean in

various systems (shallow, deep) and interactions with biota

- Impacts of hydrothermal activity on surface and deep ocean geochemistry: the

distribution, speciation, and bioavailability of biogeochemically-relevant and toxic trace

elements, their isotopes, organic matter, and gasses, and their interactions with the biota

- Impacts of hydrothermal/cold seep activity on the sea surface, biotic oceanic communities

(viruses, bacteria, phytoplankton, zooplankton), diversity, and activity and the biotic impact

of stressors on marine biogeochemical carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus cycles (nutrient

uptake, productivity, export); fertilization vs toxic effect

- HV/CS fluid impact on the physiological functioning and ecotoxicology of organisms as

well as ecosystem functioning

- HV/CS patterns and constraints of geological and biological spatio-temporal evolution

where benthos, plankton and surface water/ atmosphere relations interact.

- Research based on a variety of field approaches, including in situ and satellite

observation, process studies in controlled or semi-controlled systems, modeling,

laboratory, and omics approaches are welcome if related to field observations