The occurrence phases and enrichment mechanism of rare earth elements in cobalt-rich crusts from Marcus-Wake Seamounts

To explore the occurrence phases and enrichment mechanism of rare earth elements(REEs)in cobalt-rich crusts,this study analyzes the mineral composition and REE contents of the samples from Marcus-Wake Seamounts by XRD,ICP-OES and ICP-MS.The results show that,(1)the cobalt-rich crusts contain the major crystalline mineral(vernadite),the secondary minerals(quartz,plagioclase and carbonate fluorapatite),and a large amount of amorphous ferric oxyhydroxides(FeOOH).(2)The cobalt-rich crusts contains higher Mn(10.83%to 28.76%)and Fe(6.14%to 18.86%)relative to other elements,and are enriched in REEs,with total REE contents of 1563−3238μg/g and Ce contents of 790−1722μg/g.Rare earth element contents of the old crusts are higher than those of the new crusts.Moreover,the non-phosphatized crusts have positive Ce and negative Y anomalies,and yet the phosphatized crusts have positive Ce and positive Y anomalies,indicating that cobalt-rich crusts is hydrogenetic and REEs mainly come from seawater.(3)Analytical data also show that the occurrence phases of elements in cobalt-rich crusts are closely related to their mineral phases.In the non-phosphatized crusts,REEs are adsorbed by colloidal particles into the crusts(about 67%of REEs in the Fe oxide phase,and about 17%of REEs in the Mn oxide phase).In contrast,in the phosphatized crusts(affected by the phosphatization),REEs may combine with phosphate to form rare earth phosphate minerals,and about 64%of REEs are enriched in the residual phase containing carbonate fluorapatite,but correspondingly the influence of Fe and Mn oxide phases on REEs enrichment is greatly reduced.In addition,the oxidizing environment of seawater,high marine productivity,phosphatization,and slow growth rate can promote the REE enrichment.This study provides a reference for the metallogenesis of cobalt-rich crusts in the Pacific.

Distribution Characteristics of Cobalt-rich Ferromanganese Crust Resources on Submarine Seamounts in the Western Pacific

Based on the survey data of five submarine seamount provinces （chains） in the Western Pacific, the distribution characteristics of cobalt-rich ferromanganese crust resources have been researched in this paper by using the relative reference data and applying the theories of hotspot and seafloor spreading. The main research results obtained are as follows： The Co-rich crust thickness in the study area is gradually increasing from east to west and from south to north having a negative correlation （r = -0.59） with longitude and a positive correlation （r = 0.48） with latitude. The crust thickness varying along longitude and latitude is influenced by the hotspot and seafloor spreading. The oceanic crusts and seamounts in the northwest part of the study area are older, and the crust resources are superior to those in the southeast part. In the depth of 〈1500 m, 1500-2000 m, 2000-2500 m in the study area, the cobalt crust thickness is respectively 5.45 cm, 4.34 cm and 3.55 cm, and in the depth of 2500-3000 m and 3000-3500 m, it drops respectively to 2.84 cm and 3.37 cm. The Co-rich crust resources are mainly concentrated in the seamount summit margins and the upper flanks in the depth of 〈2500 m. There is a strong negative correlation （r = -0.67） between the cobalt crust abundance and the slope of the seamount, 75 kg/m^2 and 50 kg/mz at the slopes of 0°-20° and 20°-34° respectively. Cobalt crusts are mainly distributed in the parts whose slopes are less than 20°. It is consistent with the fractal result that the slope threshold of cobalt crust distribution is 19°, and slopes over 20° are not conducive to the crust growth. The cobalt crusts of high grade are mainly enriched in the region within 150°E-140°W and 30°S-30°N in the Pacific, where there are about 587 seamounts at the depth of 3500- 6000 m and over 30 Ma of the oceanic crusts. The perspective area rich in cobalt crust resources is about 41×104 km^2 and the resource quantity is approximately 27 billion tons.

Biomineralization of organic matter in cobalt-rich crusts from the Marcus–Wake Seamounts of the western Pacific Ocean

Organic matter in cobalt-rich crust （CRC） from the Marcus-Wake Seamounts of the western Pacific Ocean, Sample CM1D03, has been analyzed to understand the source, geochemistry and mineralization of organic matter, and the mineralization environment. Biomarkers, includingn-alkanes, isoprenoids, terpanes and sterols, have been detected in various layers of the CRC sample, using gas chromatography （GC） and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry （GC-MS）. The content of organic carbon （OC） and its stable isotope （δ13C）, and the combined features of the biomarkers show that the mineralized organic matter in CM1D03 CRC was mainly derived from microorganisms and lower plankton （e.g., bacteria and algae, respectively） from marine surface water, with some terrestrial higher plant components. The ratio of chloroform bitu-men ＂A＂： OC was high in the CRC, between 10.51 and 20.66, showing significant migration characteristics of n-alkanes. Four mineralization categories of organic matter were recognized based on GC chromatograms ofn-alkane molecules： （1） primitive type （bacteria and algae）, which is characterized by moderately mature ofn-alkanes preserving the original characteristics of the organic matter from microorganisms and lower plankton; （2） microbial degradation type, which is characterized by low contents ofn-alkanes and rising baseline in the chromatogram, with the ＂bulge＂ being the products of organic matter by biodegradation; （3） organic matter migration type, which is characterized by low carbon number ofn-alkanes withnC18 as the main peak carbon, without odd even predominance, and low concentrations of isoprenoids and hydro-carbons with high carbon number; and （4） organic matter hydrothermal type, which is characterized by relatively low concentration of small molecular weightn-alkanes, pristane, and phytane, accompanied by higher concentration ofn-alkanes with carbon number greater thannC18. This study shows that biomarkers can record controlling factors of mineralization and their variation.

Comparative Study of Magmatism in East Pacific Rise Versus Nearby Seamounts:Constraints on Magma Supply and Thermal Structure Beneath Mid-ocean Ridge

Major elements of 2202 basalts from the East Pacific Rise （EPR） and 888 basalts from near- EPR seamounts are used to investigate their differences in magma crystallization pressures and mantle melting conditions. Crystallization pressure calculation from basalts with 5.0wt%〈MgO〈8.0wt % shows that magma crystallization pressures beneath near-EPR seamounts are positively and negatively correlated with Nas and Fes, respectively. However, these correlations are indistinct in axial lavas, which can be explained by chemical homogenization induced by extensive mixing processes. In each segment divided by major transforms and over-lapping spreading centers （OSCs）, near-EPR seamount lavas have higher magma crystallization pressures, higher Fes and lower Nas than the EPR lavas, which indicate cooler lithosphere, lower degrees and shallower melting depths beneath near-EPR seamounts than the EPR. The correlations between magma crystallization pressures and melting conditions beneath near-EPR seamounts imply that the source thermal state controls the melting degree and melt flux, and then melting process controls the shallow lithosphere temperature and magma crystallization depth （pressure）. The cooler mantle sources beneath near-EPR seamounts produce a lower degree of melting and a less robust magma supply, which results in a deep thermal equilibrium level and high magma crystallization pressure. The magma crystallization pressure decreases significantly as spreading rate of the EPR increases from ~80 mm/year in the north （16~N） to ~160 mm/year in the south （19~S）, while this trend is unobvious in near-EPR seamounts. This suggests that the magma supply controlled by spreading rate dominates the ridge crust temperature and magma crystallization depth, while the near-EPR seamount magma supply is not dominated by the axial spreading rate. Because most seamounts form and gain most of their volume within a narrow zone of 5-15 km from ridge axis, they provide good constraint on magma supply and thermal structure beneath the EPR. High magma crystallization pressures in seamounts indicate dramatic temperature decrease from the EPR. The crystallization pressures of seamount lavas are well correlated with mantle melting parameters but in a blurry relationship with axial spreading rate. Despite the adjacency of the EPR and nearby seamounts, the thermal structure beneath the near-EPR seamounts are controlled by their own magma supply and conductive cooling, chemically and thermally unaffected by magmatism beneath the ridge axis.

Morphological description and population structure of an ophiuroid species from cobalt-rich crust seamounts in the Northwest Pacific:Implications for marine protection under deep-sea mining

Many seamounts are covered with cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts,and are increasingly attracting interest for the potential extraction of valuable mineral resources from deep seabed environments.However,the impacts of potential mining activities on the vulnerable seamount ecosystem remain unclear.To enhance the understanding of connectivity in benthic invertebrate populations in the Northwest Pacific,several seamounts were surveyed and biological samples collected.In the present study,the ophiuroid species Ophioplinthaca defensor is reported for the first time from four deep seamounts in the Northwest Pacific,and described,providing more detailed morphological diagnosis characters.To assess the population structure of the species between and within seamounts,two mitochondrial markers(COI and 16 S)were sequenced.In total,20 haplotypes from 32 COI sequences and 8 haplotypes from 3716 S sequences were recovered.The star-shaped TCS networks and nonsignificant pairwise population differences reveal the absence of distinct population structures between and within seamounts.In addition,the O.defensor population seemed to have undergone a demographic expansion in history.This is the first study on the genetic population structure of a benthic invertebrate from seamounts in the Northwest Pacific,and this results suggest a potentially high,long distance dispersal capacity in O.defensor between seamounts,which could inform the development of the Regional Environmental Management Plans for the cobalt-rich crust seamounts in the area.

The Effects of Seamounts on Sound Propagation in Deep Water

A propagation experiment was conducted in the South China Sea in 2014 with a flat bottom and seamounts respectively by using explosive sources. The effects of seamounts on sound propagation are analyzed by using the broadband signals. It is observed that the transmission loss （TL） decreases up to 7 dB for the signals in the first shadow zone due to the seamount reflection. Moreover, the TL might increase more than 30 dB in the converge zone due to the shadowing by seamounts. Abnormal TLs and pulse arrival structures at different ranges are explained by using the ray and wave theory. The experimental TLs and arrival pulses are compared with the numerical results and found to be in good agreement.

Planktonic ciliate trait structure variation over Yap,Mariana,and Caroline seamounts in the tropical Western Pacific Ocean

Trait structure is increasingly used in plankton ecology to understand diversity and biogeography.However,our knowledge of micro zooplankton(e.g.planktonic ciliates)trait structure and its variation with hydrography is limited.In this study,we analyzed planktonic ciliate trait structure in waters with different hydrography and deep Chlorophyll a maximum(DCM)layers over three seamounts:Yap,Mariana,and Caroline seamounts.Mariana seamount had a lower surface temperature than the Yap and Caroline seamounts.DCM layers over Mariana and Caroline seamounts were deeper than Yap seamount.There was a weak upwelling in upper 50 m around top of Mariana seamount.The ciliate distribution showed bimodal pattern(high abundance appeared in the surface and DCM layers)over three seamounts.At surface layer,the large size-fraction(>30μm)abundance proportion to aloricate ciliate over Yap seamount(44.4%)was higher than Mariana(32.8%)and Caroline(36.1%)seamounts.For tintinnid abundance proportion to total ciliate,Mariana(12.0%)and Caroline(11.5%)seamounts at about 100-m depth were higher than that of Yap seamount(6.4%).Vertically,tintinnid could be divided into 4 groups over the three seamounts.At30-m depth,group I(species occurring from surface to 100 m only)was dominant component over Yap and Caroline seamounts,while group IV(species occurring at every depth)changed into dominant component over Mariana seamount,the weak upwelling might be the reason.Salpingella faurei was the top dominant species,which corresponded to deeper DCM layers over Mariana and Caroline seamounts.Our results showed that the upwelling and the deeper DCM could influence the planktonic ciliate trait structure.

Accration and Subduction of Seamounts in West Junggar

Recently,through implementation of the National Nature Science Foundation of China （No.41303027） and Special Fund for Basic Scientific Research of Central Colleges （310827153506,310827153407,2014G1271058）,we focused on basalts in Darbut and Karamay ophiolitic melanges in West Junggar which is a part of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt,and made some advances as follows.

Establishment of Alloptilella splendida gen.et sp.nov.and resurrection of Scytalium veneris(Thomson&Henderson,1906),two sea pens(Cnidaria:Pennatulacea)from seamounts in the tropical Western Pacific

Sea pens are a highly specialized and morphologically distinct group of octocorallians,but many taxa were poorly described and their phylogenetic relationships are still poorly known.We describe two species of sea pens collected from the tropical Western Pacific:Alloptilella splendida gen.et sp.nov.and Scytalium veneris(Thomson&Henderson,1906).Alloptilella splendida gen.et sp.nov.accords with the definition of the recently resurrected genus Ptilella Gray,1870 in most characters,but differs from the latter in the arrangement of autozooids and the location of mesozooids.The new species mostly resembles Pennatula naresi K(o|")lliker(1880),but differs by the location of me sozooids and the reddish color of sclerite s surrounding siphonozooids.The generic separation is also well supported by their genetic distances and the molecular phylogenetic trees constructed by the concatenated mtMutS-COI-28 S,where Alloptilella clustered with Scytalium Herklots,1858 and formed a clade with the cluster of Ptilella and Distichoptilum.Scytalium veneris,usually considered as a junior synonym of Scytalium sarsii Herklots,1858,is resurrected by recognizing their distinctive differences.This is the first record of Scytalium veneris outside its type locality,and the phylogenetic analysis indicates that Scytalium is a monophyletic group.Both the families Pennatulidae and Virgulariidae are polyphyletic,and more morphological and molecular data are needed to clarify the phylogenetic positions of pennatulacean families and genera.

Morphology and molecular phylogeny of three black corals(Antipatharia,Schizopathidae)from seamounts in the Western Pacific Ocean,with description of a new species

Three deep-sea black corals belonging to the family Schizopathidae,are reported from two seamounts on the Caroline Ridge in the tropical Western Pacific:Umbellapathes parva sp.nov.with depth of 1488-1766 m,Telopathes cf.magna MacIsaac&Best,2013 with depth of 937-1016 m,and Stauropathes cf.punctata(Roule,1905)with depth of 942-1353 m.The latter two species are the first records in the Western Pacific Ocean.U.parva sp.nov.is characterized by monopodial corallum,relatively long unpinnulated stalk with complex pinnulated branche s developing from the lowermost primary pinnules and small spine s.It differs from two known congeners by much smaller spine s and the present of secondary pinnules.T.cf.magna MacIsaac&Best,2013 has sparsely branched corallum,relatively long and simple pinnules arranged in subopposite or alternate pairs.S.cf.punctata(Roule,1905)is characterized by the corallum with almost planar pinnulated branches,and pinnules arranged in subopposite pairs.Our results indicate that the corallum size and shape are variable in conspecific specimens particularly those at different growth stages.By contrast,the size of the polypar spines as well as the abpolypar spines have little variation and can be served as a main differing feature for schizopathid species.The phylogenetic analyses using nuclear internal transcribed spacer region(spanning partial 18 S rDNA,ITS 1,5.8 S,ITS2,and partial 28 S rDNA)and two mitochondrial fragments cox3-IGR-coxl(COI)and trnW-IGR-nad2(NAD2)showed Telopathes,Stau ropathes,and Bathypathes had close relationships,and Umbellapathes formed a sister clade with Alternatipathes.

Analysis of differences in nutrients chemistry in seamount seawaters in the Kocebu and M4 seamounts in Western Pacific Ocean

Comprehensive surveys were conducted in the Kocebu deep seamount and the M4 shallow seamount in the Western Pacific Ocean in March 2018 and May 2019,respectively.The distributions of nutrients in euphotic zone of the two seamount-areas were revealed,and the causative controlling factors were analyzed.Results show that the vertical distribution of nutrients in the two seamount-areas accorded with the general law of the oligotrophic ocean.The concentrations of NO_(3)-N,PO_(4)-P,and SiO_(3)-Si generally increased gradually with the increase of water depth,and they were extremely low in water layers within100 m.The area of high NO_(2)-N concentration well agreed with the Deep Chlorophyll Maximum Layer.On the other hand,the distribution of water masses and phytoplankton and hydrological conditions in the two seamount-areas were different,resulting in lower concentrations of NO_(3)-N,PO_(4)-P,and SiO_(3)-Si in the water layers below 100 m in the Kocebu seamount area than those in the M4 seamount area.In addition,NO_(2)-N was affected by the distribution of phytoplankton,and distributed mainly in the water layers of 150 and100 m.There was upwelling in the euphotic zone of M4 seamount area,causing accumulations of nutrients and phytoplankton around the seamount,forming a"seamount effect";however,no such an effect was found in Kocebu seamount area.Affected by the composition of biological community and the"seamount effect",the nitrogen limitation in the M4 seamount area was not significant,and the dissolved inorganic nitrogen(DIN):PO_(4)-P and SiO_(3)-Si:DIN were closer to the Redfield ratios.

Geochemistry of the lava and its implications in Musicians Seamounts

Chemical and isotopic data of the lava samples dredged in the southern Bach Ridge and the northern Italian Ridge of the Musicians Seamounts province, northeast of Hawaii. Although most of the samples analyzed are generally altered, a few are fresh. The latter exhibits similar geochemical and isotopic characteristics to normal MORB （Mid-Ocean Ridge Basalts）. There are systematic geochemical trends from hotspot to mid-ocean ridge in the province. Incompatible element and isotopic variations suggest that the flow field had at least two distinct parental magmas, one with higher and one with lower MgO concentrations. The two parental magmas could be related by a magma mixing model. The major and trace element modeling shows that the two parental magmas could not have been produced by different degrees of melting of a homogeneous mantle source, but they are consistent with melting of a generally depleted mantle containing variable volumes of embedded enriched heterogeneity enriched interbeds.

The western Durkan Complex(Makran Accretionary Prism,SE Iran):A Late Cretaceous tectonically disrupted seamounts chain and its role in controlling deformation style

The Durkan Complex is a key tectonic element of the Makran accretionary prism(SE Iran)and it has been interpreted as representing a continental margin succession.We present here a multidisciplinary study of the western Durkan Complex,which is based on new geological,stratigraphic,biostratigraphic data,as well as geochemical data of the volcanic and meta-volcanic rocks forming this complex.Our data show that this complex consists of distinct tectonic slices showing both non-metamorphic and very low-grade metamorphic deformed successions.Stratigraphic and biostratigraphic data allow us to recognize three types of successions.Type-Ⅰis composed by a Coniacian-early Campanian pelagic succession with intercalation of pillow lavas and minor volcaniclastic rocks.Type-Ⅱsuccession includes a volcanic sequence passing to a volcano-sedimentary sequence with Cenomanian pelagic limestones,followed by a hemipelagic sequence.This succession is characterized by abundant mass-transport deposits.Type-Ⅲsuccession includes volcanic and volcano-sedimentary sequences,which are stratigraphically covered by a Cenomanian platform succession.The latter is locally followed by a hemipelagic sequence.The volcanic rocks in the different successions show alkaline geochemical affinity,suggesting an origin from an oceanic within-plate setting.Our new results indicate that the western Durkan Complex represents fragments of seamounts tectonically incorporated in the Makran accretionary wedge during the latest Late Cretaceous-Paleocene.We propose that incorporation of seamounts in the frontal prism caused a shortening of the whole convergent margin and possibly contributed to controlling the deformation style in the Makran Accretionary Wedge during Late Cretaceous-Paleocene times.

Ophiuroid fauna of cobalt-rich crust seamounts in the Northwest Pacific Ocean

Seamounts are vulnerable ecosystems in the deep sea and can be heavily impacted by human activities,such as bottom fishing and deep-sea mining.The species composition and distribution patterns of benthic fauna is key information for the designation of marine protected areas and environmental management plans.Three contracts for cobalt-rich crust exploration have been granted to China,Japan and Korea in the Northwest Pacific Ocean by the International Seabed Authority.However,our knowledge of benthic biodiversity in this area is extremely insufficient.During 2013–2020,eight Chinese Ocean Mineral Resources R&D Association(COMRA)cruises were conducted to investigate the benthic assemblages of nine seamounts in this region.In this study,191 ophiuroids collected from seamounts in the Northwest Pacific were identified into 29 species in 11 families.Ophiacanthidae and Euryalidae were the two most dominant families with 12 and 6 species,respectively.Ophiotomidae and Ophiopyrgidae were represented by two species each,while seven families were represented by only one species.Four species were widely distributed among 4–5 seamounts,and 17 species were found only at a single site.An integrated regional taxonomic dataset of Ophiuroidea was generated and analyzed.A total of 23 and 14 species were obtained from the Magellan Seamount Chain(MSC)and the Marcus-Wake seamounts(MWS),respectively,with 8 species shared between the two seamount groups.The individual-based rarefaction curves did not reach an asymptote,suggesting that the sampling effort was inadequate for either the entire region or each single seamount.Most species distributed in a narrow depth range,and the species composition was different between water depths above and below 2000 m.Our results greatly improve the understanding of megafaunal biodiversity from seamounts in the Northwest Pacific Ocean,and highlight the necessity of further surveys to provide more robust information for environmental protection and management in this region.

A Study on the Forming Conditions of Basalts in Seamounts of the South China Sea

Volcanic rocks in seamounts of the South China Sea consist mainly of alkali basalt, tholeiitic basalt, trachyandesitic pumice, dacite, etc. Inclusions in the minerals of the volcanic rocks are main-ly amorphous melt inclusions, Which reflects that the volcanic rocks are characterized by submarine eruption and rapid cooling on the seafloor. Furthermore, fluid-melt inclusions have been discovered for the first time in alkali basalts and mantle-derived xenoliths, indicating a process of differentiation between magma and fluid in the course of mantle partial melting. Alkali basalts and inclusions may have been formed in this nonhomogeneous system.Rock-forming temperatures of four seamounts were estimated as follows: the Zhongnan seamount alkali basalt 1155 ～1185 ℃, the Xianbei seamount alkali basalt 960～1200℃, tholeiitic basalt 1040～1230℃, the Daimao seamount tholeiitic basalt 1245 ～1280℃; and the Jianfeng seamount trachyandestic pumice 880～1140℃. Equilibrium pressures of alkali basalts in the Zhongnan and Xanbei seamounts are 13.57 and 8.8 × 108 Pa, respectively. Pyroxene equilibrium tem-peratures of mantle xenoliths from the Xianbei seamount were estimated at 1073～1121℃, and pres-sures at (15.58 ～ 22.47)× 108Pa, suggesting a deep-source (e.g. the asthenosphere) for the alkali basalts.

中亚造山带西准噶尔地区达尔布特蛇绿岩研究进展与展望

蛇绿岩是研究古大洋的主要载体和划分古板块边界的重要证据,记录了从大洋岩石圈的最初形成到最后洋盆闭合的诸多信息,是研究洋–陆转换过程的关键地质体。西准噶尔达尔布特蛇绿岩是北疆地区发育规模最大、最为典型的蛇绿岩带之一,相关研究近年来取得了系列成果。①在萨尔托海铬铁矿中发现金刚石等深部矿物群,从而对此前铬铁矿的浅部成矿理论提出了质疑。②在蛇绿岩中识别出前弧玄武岩,它是俯冲起始的地质记录之一。③蛇绿岩中存在古海山物质组分,其中玄武岩具有OIB特征。④萨尔托海铬铁矿是深部地幔预富集和浅部再富集的结果。⑤达尔布特蛇绿岩形成于俯冲有关的构造环境,并有地幔柱的参与。在取得进展的同时,也出现了一些新的科学问题和研究方向,主要包括深部物质循环过程、俯冲起始机制、陆壳增生机制和俯冲带型蛇绿岩成因等。

中西太平洋海山特征对延绳钓渔业和围网渔业黄鳍金枪鱼CPUE的影响

海山是海底重要的生物栖息地类型之一,是研究海洋生物多样性的热点区域。黄鳍金枪鱼(Thunnus albacares)广泛分布于中西太平洋,具有极高的生态和经济价值,然而,鲜有关于海山及其相关特征对黄鳍金枪鱼资源丰度和分布影响的研究。基于2010—2021年中西太平洋渔业委员会(Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission,WCPFC)汇总的延绳钓和围网渔业数据结合海山特征数据,采用广义加性模型(Generalized additive model,GAM)分析两种不同捕捞方式的黄鳍金枪鱼单位捕捞努力量渔获量(Catch per unit effort,CPUE)与海山相关特征之间的关系。结果表明,中西太平洋两种渔业方式的黄鳍金枪鱼渔获量主要来源于海山区域,海山特征对两种渔业黄鳍金枪鱼的CPUE均产生了极显著性影响(P<0.001)。在延绳钓渔业中,较高的CPUE出现在山顶深度、粗糙度、底面积和海山密度较小、坡度较缓的区域;而在围网渔业中,较高的CPUE则出现在粗糙度较小、山顶深度较大、底面积较大、较陡峭且密集的海山区域。研究探讨了中西太平洋海山特征对黄鳍金枪鱼不同群体的影响机制,为今后进一步探索黄鳍金枪鱼种群分布和资源丰度变化与海洋环境的关系提供了参考与新思路。

基于环境RNA研究海山效应对浮游细菌多样性和分布的影响

研究采用环境RNA技术探究西太平洋M4海山区细菌多样性,并与基于环境DNA技术的研究结果进行比较,解析细菌代谢活性特征。结果表明基于环境RNA和DNA技术检获的物种构成相似,但真光层中蓝细菌在RNA中的占比明显高于DNA,显示其高代谢活性;而α变形菌在RNA中的占比明显小于DNA,代谢活性低;γ变形菌在RNA中占比更大且随水层加深而增加。物种间关系网络复杂度随着水深的增加呈先升高后下降的趋势。基于RNA数据构建的网络较DNA数据网络简单,且随着水深增加变化趋势更加显著,去除蓝细菌后网络变化剧烈,而去除α变形菌对网络影响小。综上,研究基于环境RNA技术提供了海山区浮游细菌多样性及分布更加完整的认知,α变形菌在海山区多样性占比和其在群落中作用可能被高估。

九州-帕劳海脊南段及邻近海域典型海山形态特征及地质意义

对海山形态特征的定量分析与讨论,有助于理解海山的形成与演化,从而进一步了解与海山地貌形态有关的动力作用。基于九州-帕劳海脊南段及邻近海域的高分辨率海底地形和浅地层剖面资料,利用统计学、频谱分析及层序地层学等方法,查明了研究区40座海山的形态特征,并对海山的演化过程进行了分析推测,同时指出了海山对底流沉积动力的影响。结果表明,研究区海山平均高度为1374 m,平均体积为100 km3,宽高比为0.21±0.09,平坦度为0.16±0.18;在中央海盆裂谷北侧和九州-帕劳海脊南段海山高度与底面半径具有较好的线性关系,而在中央海盆裂谷南侧相关性较差;中央海盆裂谷南侧海山的宽高比明显大于北侧,可能是由复杂的应力背景和构造机制等因素所导致。总结火山演化的4种生长模型,分析认为研究区海山的形态演化与山顶高度和基底直径成比例增加的火山生长模型基本类似,可能是由于火山间断喷发导致海山顶部与侧翼同时成比例发育。

基于环境RNA研究西太平洋浅水海山区真核微生物多样性及其与细菌的关系

海山遍布大洋海底,由于其特殊海底地形和水文动力环境,孕育了丰富且特殊的生物群落。采用环境RNA技术分析西太平洋M4浅水海山区真核微生物的多样性和分布,并与环境DNA技术检获的结果进行比较,揭示二者的异同。研究发现,RNA和DNA技术检获的表层和DCM层群落结构相似,在200 m以深的水层中群落结构差异较大。共甲藻纲的相对丰度在DNA数据中占比高于RNA数据,因此可能被基于eDNA的技术高估;而甲藻纲和金藻纲则相反,存在被低估的可能性。通过真核微生物与细菌的共现网络,揭示甲藻虽然是海山区叶绿素最大层共现网络中的关键类群,但其与细菌的相互关系弱,且代谢活性较弱。金藻中行混合营养的类群以及Bicoecea类群,在深层海水中普遍存在,且具有较高的代谢活性。环境RNA技术可检获有生命活性的物种分布,为海山区真核微生物多样性及分布提供更完整的认知。