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Shallow Water Hydrothermal Activities

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sustainability and Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 December 2021) | Viewed by 12110

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Prof. Dr. Chen-Tung Arthur Chen

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Guest Editor

Department of Oceanography, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan
Interests: carbon chemistry; land–ocean interactions; submarine groundwater discharge; ocean acidification
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Yao Zhang

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Guest Editor

State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
Interests: hydrothermal systems; marine microbiology

Prof. Dr. Zhigang Zeng

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Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
Interests: hydrothermal systems; marine geology

Prof. Dr. George Burr

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Guest Editor

Department of Geosciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
Interests: biogeochemistry; past global changes; isotope chemistry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The discovery of marine hydrothermal vents has greatly advanced our understanding of extreme physical, geological, and toxic environments. Research even touches upon issues related to the origin of life as well as biological/microbial survival strategies across dramatic physical, chemical, and biological gradients. However, research on seafloor hydrothermal activities has focused primarily on deep-sea systems since their discovery in 1977; and submarine hydrothermal activities are not confined to deep water environments. To date, around 50 marine shallow water hydrothermal systems, generally at a water depth less than 200 m, have been discovered. These systems reflect regional fluid–rock interaction, magma degassing, the release of heat, and vigorous elemental reactions.

Further, shallow water hydrothermal vent ecosystems are distinctly different from deep-sea vents, as in addition to geothermal energy, sunlight also provides a primary source of energy that supports a unique set of biological/microbial communities. Hydrothermal fluids originate from deep magmatic sources that mix with meteoric water and seawater as they rise to the surface. Along the steep physical and geochemical gradients between the lightless, reduced hydrothermal fluids and the sunlit oxidized seawater, microbial chemolithoautotrophy and photoautotrophy occur simultaneously and drive a series of biogeochemical processes, with coupled carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycles.

For this Special Issue, we encourage both original research articles and reviews highlighting diverse advances in the field of the shallow water hydrothermal vent ecosystems, taking up one or several of the following topics, including but not limited to physical, chemical, biological, and geological features; magma degassing; fluid–rock interaction; the removal/enrichment process of elements; and the physical and chemical responses of seawater, sediment, and life.

Prof. Dr. Chen-Tung Arthur Chen
Prof. Dr. Yao Zhang
Prof. Dr. Zhigang Zeng
Prof. Dr. George Burr
Guest Editors

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Keywords

Hydrothermal vents
Marine microbiology
Ocean acidification
Ore formation

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 3087 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Comprehensive Profile of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in the Water Column of a Shallow-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Ecosystem

by Jiangwei Li, Lanping Zhang, Yufang Li, Keshao Liu, Yongqin Liu, Sijun Huang, Furun Li, Chen-Tung A. Chen, Yao Zhang and Anyi Hu

Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1776; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031776 - 04 Feb 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2534

Abstract

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) became an emerging contaminant, and were found to accumulate in natural and man-made environments. A comprehensive understanding of the diversity and abundance of ARGs in pristine environments is critical for defining the baseline levels of environmental ARGs. However, there is limited information available on the ARG profiles of pristine environments, especially for shallow-sea hydrothermal vents ecosystems. Here, we combined 16S rRNA gene full-length amplicon sequencing and high-throughput quantitative PCR (HT-qPCR) to study the bacterial communities, and ARG abundance and diversity in the shallow-sea hydrothermal vent ecosystem of the Kueishantao Islet. The results of the 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing showed that several sulfur-cycling related bacterial genera, including Thiomicrorhabdus, Thioreductor, Sulfurovum, Sulfurimonas and Lebetimonas, dominated in the water column of the shallow-sea system. Temperature was the significant factor shaping the bacterial communities. The results of HT-qPCR analysis showed that the Kueishantao shallow-sea system harbored the lowest diversity (average 10 ARG subtypes) and abundance (average 1.0

\times

10⁻³ copy per bacterial cell) of ARGs compared with other pristine (i.e., Tibet lake sediments, marine water and sediments) and anthropogenic-disturbed (i.e., drinking water reservoirs, urban ponds and wastewater treatment plants) environments. Procrustes analysis demonstrated a concordant pattern between the compositions of bacterial communities and ARGs in the shallow-sea system, while variation partition analysis revealed that the shared effects of physicochemical and bacterial communities explained >80% of the variation in the composition of ARGs. These results suggest that the vent bacterial communities and local environmental factors played an important role in shaping the distribution of the ARG profiles. Our study provides the first comprehensive overview of the background level of ARGs in a shallow-sea hydrothermal vent ecosystem. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shallow Water Hydrothermal Activities)

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15 pages, 3601 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Transformation, Fluxes and Impacts of Dissolved Metals from Shallow Water Hydrothermal Vents on Nearby Ecosystem Offshore of Kueishantao (NE Taiwan)

by Kang Mei, Deli Wang, Yan Jiang, Mengqiu Shi, Chen-Tung Arthur Chen, Yao Zhang and Kai Tang

Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1754; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031754 - 03 Feb 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2288

Abstract

Hydrothermal vents are one of the important sources of major or trace elements in the ocean. The elemental fluxes, however, may be dynamic due to coastal processes and hydrothermal plumes, especially in shallow-water hydrothermal vents. We collected water samples by using the trace-metal clean technique inside and outside two shallow-water hydrothermal vents (white vent: low temperature, high pH; and yellow vent: high temperature, low pH) off Kueishantao Islet, Taiwan, China via SCUBA divers. We analyzed these samples for their hydro-chemical parameters and dissolved elements (Fe, Mn, Mg, V, Cu, and Mo) thereafter. Our results show that dissolved metals’ concentrations were significantly different between the two vents, with higher Mn and Fe in the White Vent than in the Yellow Vent, likely due to the decreased affinity of the dissolved metals for particles in the white vent. We estimated the plume fluxes of dissolved metals from the hydrothermal mouth by multiplying in situ hydrothermal discharge flowrates with metals’ concentrations inside the vents, which were: 1.09~7.02 × 10⁴ kg Mg, 0.10~1.23 kg Fe, 0.08~28 kg Mn, 33.4~306 g V, 2.89~77.7 g Cu, and 54.3~664 g Mo, annually. The results further indicate that such plumes probably have impacted nearby seawater due to coastal currents and particle desorption during transport. Furthermore, the concentrations of biogenic elements could be further modified in seawater, and potentially impact nearby ecosystems on a larger scale. Our study provides information with which to further understand metal redeployment in submarine shallow nearby ecosystems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shallow Water Hydrothermal Activities)

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10 pages, 1865 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ubiquitous Occurrence of a Biogenic Sulfonate in Marine Environment

by Xiaofeng Chen, Yu Han, Quanrui Chen, Huaying Lin, Shanshan Lin, Deli Wang and Kai Tang

Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1240; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031240 - 22 Jan 2022

Viewed by 1644

Abstract

The biogenic sulfonate 2,3-dihydroxypropane-1-sulfonate (DHPS) is a vital metabolic currency between phytoplankton and bacteria in marine environments. However, the occurrence and quantification of DHPS in the marine environment has not been well-characterized. In this study, we used targeted metabolomics to determine the concentration of DHPS in the Pearl River Estuary, an in situ costal mesocosm ecosystem and a hydrothermal system off Kueishantao Island. The results suggested that DHPS occurred ubiquitously in the marine environment, even in shallow-sea hydrothermal systems, at a level comparable to that of dimethylsulfoniopropionate. The concentration of DHPS was closely related to phytoplankton community composition and was especially associated with the abundance of diatoms. Epsilonproteobacteria were considered as the most likely producers of DHPS in shallow-sea hydrothermal systems. This work expands current knowledge on sulfonates and presents a new viewpoint on the sulfur cycle in hydrothermal systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shallow Water Hydrothermal Activities)

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13 pages, 2233 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Iron-Copper-Zinc Isotopic Compositions of Andesites from the Kueishantao Hydrothermal Field off Northeastern Taiwan

by Zhigang Zeng, Xiaohui Li, Shuai Chen, Yuxiang Zhang, Zuxing Chen and Chen-Tung Arthur Chen

Sustainability 2022, 14(1), 359; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14010359 - 29 Dec 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2108

Abstract

The studies of iron (Fe), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) isotopic compositions in seafloor andesites are helpful in understanding the metal stable isotope fractionation during magma evolution. Here, the Fe, Cu, and Zn isotopic compositions of andesites from the Kueishantao hydrothermal field (KHF) off northeastern Taiwan, west Pacific, have been studied. The majority of δ⁵⁶Fe values (+0.02‰ to +0.11‰) in the KHF andesites are consistent with those of MORBs (mid-ocean ridge basalts). This suggests that the Fe in the KHF andesites is mainly from a MORB-type mantle. The Fe-Cu-Zn isotopic compositions (δ⁵⁶Fe +0.22‰, δ⁶⁵Cu +0.16‰ to +0.64‰, and δ⁶⁶Zn +0.29‰ to +0.71‰) of the KHF andesites, which are significantly different from those of the MORBs and the continental crust (CC), have a relatively wide range of Cu and Zn isotopic compositions. This is most likely to be a result of the entrainment of the sedimentary carbonate-derived components into an andesitic magma. The recycled altered rocks (higher δ⁵⁶Fe, lower δ⁶⁶Zn) could preferentially incorporate isotopically light Fe and heavy Zn into the magma, resulting in relative enrichment of the lighter Fe and heavier Zn isotopes in the andesites. The majority of the δ⁵⁶Fe values in the KHF andesites are higher than those of the sediments and the local CC and lower than those of the subducted altered rocks, while the reverse is true for δ⁶⁶Zn, suggesting that the subseafloor sediments and CC materials (lower δ⁵⁶Fe, higher δ⁶⁶Zn) contaminating the rising andesitic magma could preferentially incorporate isotopically heavy Fe and light Zn into the magma, resulting in relative enrichment of the heavier Fe and lighter Zn isotopes in the andesites. Thus, the characteristics of the Fe and Zn isotopes in back-arc and island-arc volcanic rocks may also be influenced by the CC and plate subduction components. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shallow Water Hydrothermal Activities)

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17 pages, 6320 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Recent Developments of Exploration and Detection of Shallow-Water Hydrothermal Systems

by Zhujun Zhang, Wei Fan, Weicheng Bao, Chen-Tung A Chen, Shuo Liu and Yong Cai

Sustainability 2020, 12(21), 9109; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12219109 - 02 Nov 2020

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2432

Abstract

A hydrothermal vent system is one of the most unique marine environments on Earth. The cycling hydrothermal fluid hosts favorable conditions for unique life forms and novel mineralization mechanisms, which have attracted the interests of researchers in fields of biological, chemical and geological studies. Shallow-water hydrothermal vents located in coastal areas are suitable for hydrothermal studies due to their close relationship with human activities. This paper presents a summary of the developments in exploration and detection methods for shallow-water hydrothermal systems. Mapping and measuring approaches of vents, together with newly developed equipment, including sensors, measuring systems and water samplers, are included. These techniques provide scientists with improved accuracy, efficiency or even extended data types while studying shallow-water hydrothermal systems. Further development of these techniques may provide new potential for hydrothermal studies and relevant studies in fields of geology, origins of life and astrobiology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shallow Water Hydrothermal Activities)

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