Size matters at deep-sea hydrothermal vents: different diversity and habitat fidelity patterns of meio- and macrofauna.

ABSTRACT: Species with markedly different sizes interact when sharing the same habitat. Unravelling mechanisms that control diversity thus requires consideration of a range of size classes. We compared patterns of diversity and community structure for meio- and macrofaunal communities sampled along a gradient of environmental stress at deep-sea hydrothermal vents on the East Pacific Rise (9° 50' N) and neighboring basalt habitats. Both meio- and macrofaunal species richnesses were lowest in the high-stress vent habitat, but macrofaunal richness was highest among intermediate-stress vent habitats. Meiofaunal species richness was negatively correlated with stress, and highest on the basalt. In these deep-sea basalt habitats surrounding hydrothermal vents, meiofaunal species richness was consistently h

SUBMITTER: Gollner S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4496463 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature