| On the basis of previous studies at 9 degrees N and 13 degrees N East Pacific Rise (EPR) fields, we discuss the general assumption that temperature is a proxy for sulfide in vent fauna habitat. The main conclusion of these works is illustrated here through selected examples. In situ measurements were used to assess the variability of chemical parameters as function of temperature at the scale of fauna aggregations. Over a single vent site, aggregations of mussels or Riftia pachyptila discretely distributed around diffuse vents exhibit, in first assumption, similar sulfide-temperature correlation. In contrast, sulfide is much higher, for a given temperature, in the habitat of alvinellids than in neighboring habitats of Riftia pachyptila. Some consistency in... |
