Title: Dorvilleid from Eel R.
1Dorvilleid from Eel R. methane seep (525 m)
2Research Questions How many dorvilleid species
are present? How can they tolerate such toxic
conditions? Do the species partition their
habitat ? (by food? sulfide tolerance? settlement
cues?) Does sulfide drive their evolution?
3Studying sulfide effects with experiments
Colonization tray
Gear Elevator
4Do dorvilleids respond to sulfide as a
settlement cue?
Eel R. Seeps (N. CA) 500 m
with or without sulfide
Tray Treatments (6 reps each) 1. Agar without
sulfide (outside seeps) 2. Agar with sulfide,
8- 9mM (outside seeps) 3. Agar with sulfide, 8-
9 mM (inside seeps)
5Do dorvilleids partition the system by diet?
Pseudophryotrocha cf. serrata
bacteria
d13C -36.9
sediment
Ophryotrocha platykephale
d13C -22.7
Stable isotope signatures indicate diet (you are
what you eat)
6Isotopes reveal habitat partitioning -
Dorvilleidae Eel R. Margin, Bacterial mat, 500 m
H2S 2-10mM
?
H2S 2mM
phytoplankton
sulfur bacteria
methane derived C
sulfide oxidation
terrestrial C