Biogeographic patterns at hydrothermal vents: Filling in the gaps and examining the influence of life-history biology

Mineral exploitation at deep-sea hydrothermal vents is poised to become a reality. Detailed knowledge of the biogeography, larval ecology, and occurrence of rare taxa at active and inactive vents is essential to foresee the potential impacts of mining, but our current understanding of vent biogeographic provinces, defined by differences in assemblage composition (e.g. Bachraty et al., 2009; Vrijenhoek, 2010), is incomplete. Here we present faunal composition data from recent explorations of hydrothermal vent fields on the East Scotia Ridge, Mid-Cayman Spreading Centre, northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and Southwest Indian Ridge, which contribute to a preliminary analysis of the role of life-history on the distribution patterns of vent taxa. Our results address four regional "gaps" in the current picture of vent biogeography, revealing new species and novel assemblages. We anticipate that future analyses will enable us to assess how life-history biology may inform sustainable management of vent resources, and whether a taxon-specific approach is required to understand fully global patterns of vent biogeography