| Hydrothermal vents are distributed along mid-ocean ridges and back-arc basins. These ecosystems harbour a specialized fauna supported by a local chemosynthetic microbial production, made possible through the oxidation of reduced elements present in the hydrothermal fluid. While the relationships between faunal assemblages and habitats have been relatively well described around the globe, our knowledge on the temporal dynamics of these environments is still limited, particularly at time scale relevant to organisms (from few minutes to several years). Based on hydrothermal vent communities occurring on the Juan de Fuca Ridge, located in the northeast Pacific Ocean, this thesis aims at understanding the functioning and temporal dynamics of macrofaunal... |
