The Concentration Function of the Bottom Fauna at the Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vent Fields

摘要

Specific features of the concentration of a group of chemical elements in the dominant bottom organisms are analyzed. The studied organisms inhabit geochemically different hydrothermal fields: Menez-Gwen, Broken-Spur, and Rainbow on the Mid Atlantic Ridge (MAR), as well as 9°50'N and Guyamas on the East Pacific Rise (EPR). It was revealed for the first time that bottom organisms accumulate 10~2 to 10~5 times less the macro-ions of marine water Na and K from the water of biotopes than heavy metals. The intensive concentration of chemical elements, especially of heavy metals, and the high biomasses of bottom organisms associated with hydrothermal vents suggest that this fauna serves as a powerful deepwater biofilter. The absence of pronounced differences between values of coefficients of accumulation for the same metals in the benthos of various MAR and EPR fields evidences the uniformity of the concentration function of the hydro-thermal fauna.