JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.
  • About K
  • Academics
  • Admission
  • Alumni Relations
  • Giving to K
  • News & Events
  • Student Life
  • HORNET HIVE
  • ATHLETICS
  • SITEMAP
  • WEBMAIL
    • Login
    View Item 
    •   CACHE Homepage
    • Academic Departments, Programs, and SIPs
    • Biology
    • Diebold Symposium Posters and Schedules
    • View Item
    •   CACHE Homepage
    • Academic Departments, Programs, and SIPs
    • Biology
    • Diebold Symposium Posters and Schedules
    • View Item

    A Comparative Analysis of the Macrofaunal Communities Associated with Whale, Wood, and Kelp Falls on the Deep Sea Floor

    Thumbnail
    View/Open
    poster presentation (276.0Kb)
    Date
    2004
    Author
    Lutz, Gina Marie
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    The term food fall is used to refer to whale carrion and large parcels of wood and kelp that sink to the bottom of the ocean. • Organic flux to the deep sea floor in the form of large food falls is a defining factor in habitat-variation for the deep sea benthos. • Pulses of organic enrichment such as food falls impact the ecology of the deep ocean bottom by providing the ocean floor with an episodic source of large-scale enrichment. In doing so, large food falls foster highly productive, distinct, and highly populated patch-communities. Collectively, these patches augment overall deep-sea diversity via deep sea patch dynamics. • Falling detrital material and reduced compounds derived from chemautotrophy replace sunlight as the primary energy source in these deep benthic zones (Duxbury et. al., 1998). Primary production: Photosynthesis CO2 + H2O ⇒ [CH2O] + O2 Chemosynthesis (aerobic)CO2 + H2O + H2S + O2 ⇒ [CH2O] + H2SO4 • Whale, wood, and kelp falls harbor free-living bacteria, tube worms, molluscs, and several other species that prosper without the benefit of photosynthesis. • The chemosynthetic energy production that occurs hydrothermal vents and cold water seeps also occurs at food falls. • Rare species that had previously been considered endemic to vent and seep communities have been discovered in food fall communities. • It is theorized that whale, wood, and kelp falls acted as the intermediary “stepping stones” that linked the deep water and shallow water habitats (Distel et. al., 2000). • The genetic crossover between different food fall and vent/seep animals supports the hypothesis that vent, seep, and food fall habitats could foster evolutionarily linked parallel bottom communities. At present, whale falls are known to share 11 species with hydrothermal vents and 20 species with cold seeps, and genetic analysis and comparisons of wood and kelp fall animals have yet to be done (Smith and Baco, 2003). • The examination of whale falls, wood falls, and kelp falls provides an insight into the population dynamics and the evolution of deep sea macrofaunal communities.
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/10920/4374
    Collections
    • Diebold Symposium Posters and Schedules [479]

    Browse

    All of CACHECommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjects

    My Account

    Login

    DSpace software copyright © 2002-2023  DuraSpace
    DSpace Express is a service operated by 
    Atmire NV
    Logo

    Kalamazoo College
    1200 Academy Street
    Kalamazoo Michigan 49006-3295
    USA
    Info 269-337-7000
    Admission 1-800-253-3602

    About K
    Academics
    Admission
    Alumni Relations
    Giving to K
    News & Events
    Student Life
    Sitemap
    Map & Directions
    Contacts
    Directories
    Nondiscrimination Policy
    Consumer Information
    Official disclaimer
    Search this site


    Academic Calendars
    Apply
    Bookstore
    Crisis Response
    Employment
    Library
    Registrar
    DSpace Express is a service operated by 
    Atmire NV