@article {ISI:000367801400177,
	title = {{Trophosome of the Deep-Sea Tubeworm Riftia pachyptila Inhibits Bacterial Growth}},
	journal = {PLOS ONE},
	volume = {11},
	number = {1},
	year = {2016},
	month = {jan},
	type = {Article},
	abstract = {The giant tubeworm Riftia pachyptila lives in symbiosis with the chemoautotrophic gamma-proteobacterium Cand. Endoriftia persephone. Symbionts are released back into the environment upon host death in high-pressure experiments, while microbial fouling is not involved in trophosome degradation. Therefore, we examined the antimicrobial effect of the tubeworm{\textquoteright}s trophosome and skin. The growth of all four tested Gram-positive, but only of one of the tested Gram-negative bacterial strains was inhibited by freshly fixed and degrading trophosome (incubated up to ten days at either warm or cold temperature), while no effect on Saccharomyces cerevisiae was observed. The skin did not show antimicrobial effects. A liquid chromatography-mass spectrometric analysis of the ethanol supernatant of fixed trophosomes lead to the tentative identification of the phospholipids 1-palmitoleyl-2-lyso- phosphatidylethanolamine, 2-palmitoleyl-1-lyso-phosphatidylethanolamine and the free fatty acids palmitoleic, palmitic and oleic acid, which are known to have an antimicrobial effect. As a result of tissue autolysis, the abundance of the free fatty acids increased with longer incubation time of trophosome samples. This correlated with an increasing growth inhibition of Bacillus subtilis and Listeria welshimeri, but not of the other bacterial strains. Therefore, the free fatty acids produced upon host degradation could be the cause of inhibition of at least these two bacterial strains.},
	keywords = {ROV Jason (Remotely Operated Vehicle)},
	issn = {1932-6203},
	doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0146446},
	author = {Klose, Julia and Aistleitner, Karin and Horn, Matthias and Krenn, Liselotte and Dirsch, Verena and Zehl, Martin and Bright, Monika}
}
@article {ISI:000366233300014,
	title = {{Differences in recovery between deep-sea hydrothermal vent and vent-proximate communities after a volcanic eruption}},
	journal = {DEEP-SEA RESEARCH PART I-OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH PAPERS},
	volume = {106},
	year = {2015},
	month = {dec},
	pages = {167{\textendash}182},
	type = {Article},
	abstract = {Deep-sea hydrothermal vents and the surrounding basalt seafloor are subject to major natural disturbance events such as volcanic eruptions. In the near future, anthropogenic disturbance in the form of deep-sea mining could also significantly affect the faunal communities of hydrothermal vents. In this study, we monitor and compare the recovery of insular, highly productive vent communities and vent-proximate basalt communities following a volcanic eruption that destroyed almost all existing communities at the East Pacific Rise, 9 degrees 50{\textquoteright}N in 2006. To study the recovery patterns of the benthic communities, we placed settlement substrates at vent sites and their proximate basalt areas and measured the prokaryotic abundance and compared the meio- and macrofaunal species richness and composition at one, two and four years after the eruption. In addition, we collected samples from the overlying water column with a pelagic pump, at one and two years after the volcanic eruption, to determine the abundance of potential meiofauna colonisers. One year after eruption, mean meio- and macrofaunal abundances were not significantly different from pre-eruption values in vent habitats (meio: 8-1838 ind. 64 cm(-2) in 2006; 3-6246 ind. 64 cm(-2) in 2001/02; macro: 95-1600 ind. 64 cm(-2) in 2006; 205-4577 ind. 64 cm(-2) in 2001/02) and on non-vent basalt habitats (meio: 10-1922 ind. 64 cm(-2) in 2006; 8328 ind. 64 cm(-2) in 2003/04; macro: 14-3351 ind. 64 cm(-2) in 2006; 2-63 ind. 64 cm(-2) in 2003/04), but species recovery patterns differed between the two habitat types. In the vent habitat, the initial community recovery was relatively quick but incomplete four years after eruption, which may be due to the good dispersal capabilities of vent endemic macrofauna and vent endemic dirivultid copepods. At vents, 42{\%} of the pre-eruption meio- and 39{\%} of macrofaunal species had returned. In addition, some new species not evident prior to the eruption were found. At the tubeworm site Tica, a total of 26 meio- and 19 macrofaunal species were found in 2009, which contrasts with the 24 meio- and 29 macrofauna species detected at the site in 2001/01 In the basalt habitat, community recovery of meiofauna was slower with only 28{\%} of the original 64 species present four years after eruption. The more limited dispersal capabilities of meiofauna basalt specialists such as nematodes or harpacticoid copepods probably caused this pattern. In contrast, 67{\%} of the original 27 macrofaunal species had recolonized the basalt by 2009. Our results suggest that not only vent communities, but also species-rich communities of vent-proximate habitats require attention in conservation efforts. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.},
	keywords = {HOV Alvin (Human Occupied Vehicle)},
	issn = {0967-0637},
	doi = {10.1016/j.dsr.2015.10.008},
	author = {Gollner, Sabine and Govenar, Breea and Arbizu, Pedro Martinez and Mills, Susan and Le Bris, Nadine and Weinbauer, Markus and Shank, Timothy M and Bright, Monika}
}
@article {ISI:000361755600008,
	title = {{Diversity and composition of the copepod communities associated with megafauna around a cold seep in the Gulf of Mexico with remarks on species biogeography}},
	journal = {MARINE BIODIVERSITY},
	volume = {45},
	number = {3},
	year = {2015},
	month = {sep},
	pages = {419{\textendash}432},
	type = {Article; Proceedings Paper},
	abstract = {In order to characterize the copepod communities associated with tubeworm and mussel aggregations around a hydrocarbon seep in the Green Canyon of the Gulf of Mexico, diversity, abundance, and community composition were analyzed. Also analyzed were species biogeography and the potential connectivity to other chemosynthesis-based habitats. Copepod abundance and biomass were very low among tubeworms and mussels, with 0.22 to 6.08 individuals per 10 cm(2) sampled area and 9.02 to 42.43 mu g wet weight 10 cm(2) sampled area, respectively; but, abundance was significantly higher among the mussels. Fifty-five copepod species were identified, of which most were newly discovered and primarily belonging to the Harpacticoida order. Four copepod species were previously recorded from other food-rich and hard-substrata environments, such as hydrothermal vents or wood falls. Another four species showed close morphological proximity to species described from cold seeps, hydrothermal vents, and wood falls. Copepod diversity and community composition showed no significant differences between the foundation species. However, differences in the relative abundance and dominance of single species indicate a rather homogeneous community in mussel beds and a more heterogeneous community among tubeworms, indicating that foundation species may shape the abundance and community composition of associated copepods at cold seeps.},
	keywords = {HOV Alvin (Human Occupied Vehicle), ROV Jason (Remotely Operated Vehicle)},
	issn = {1867-1616},
	doi = {10.1007/s12526-014-0310-8},
	author = {Plum, Christoph and Gollner, Sabine and Martinez-Arbizu, Pedro and Bright, Monika}
}
@article {ISI:000349302600004,
	title = {{Size matters at deep-sea hydrothermal vents: different diversity and habitat fidelity patterns of meio- and macrofauna}},
	journal = {MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES},
	volume = {520},
	year = {2015},
	month = {feb},
	pages = {57{\textendash}66},
	type = {Article},
	abstract = {Species with markedly different sizes interact when sharing the same habitat. Unravelling mechanisms that control diversity thus requires consideration of a range of size classes. We compared patterns of diversity and community structure for meio-and macrofaunal communities sampled along a gradient of environmental stress at deep-sea hydrothermal vents on the East Pacific Rise (9 degrees 50{\textquoteright} N) and neighboring basalt habitats. Both meio-and macrofaunal species richnesses were lowest in the high-stress vent habitat, but macrofaunal richness was highest among intermediate-stress vent habitats. Meiofaunal species richness was negatively correlated with stress, and highest on the basalt. In these deep-sea basalt habitats surrounding hydrothermal vents, meiofaunal species richness was consistently higher than that of macrofauna. Consideration of the physiological capabilities and life history traits of different-sized animals suggests that different patterns of diversity may be caused by different capabilities to deal with environmental stress in the 2 size classes. In contrast to meiofauna, adaptations of macrofauna may have evolved to allow them to maintain their physiological homeostasis in a variety of hydrothermal vent habitats and exploit this food-rich deep-sea environment in high abundances. The habitat fidelity patterns also differed: macrofaunal species occurred primarily at vents and were generally restricted to this habitat, but meiofaunal species were distributed more evenly across proximate and distant basalt habitats and were thus not restricted to vent habitats. Over evolutionary time scales these contrasting patterns are likely driven by distinct reproduction strategies and food demands inherent to fauna of different sizes.},
	keywords = {HOV Alvin (Human Occupied Vehicle)},
	issn = {0171-8630},
	doi = {10.3354/meps11078},
	author = {Gollner, Sabine and Govenar, Breea and Fisher, Charles R and Bright, Monika}
}
@article {ISI:000339334700007,
	title = {{Symbiont-driven sulfur crystal formation in a thiotrophic symbiosis from deep-sea hydrocarbon seeps}},
	journal = {ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS},
	volume = {6},
	number = {4, SI},
	year = {2014},
	month = {aug},
	pages = {364{\textendash}372},
	type = {Article},
	abstract = {The siboglinid tubeworm Sclerolinum contortum symbiosis inhabits sulfidic sediments at deep-sea hydrocarbon seeps in the Gulf of Mexico. A single symbiont phylotype in the symbiont-housing organ is inferred from phylogenetic analyses of the 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (16S rRNA) gene and fluorescent in situ hybridization. The phylotype we studied here, and a previous study from an arctic hydrocarbon seep population, reveal identical 16S rRNA symbiont gene sequences. While sulfide is apparently the energy source for the symbionts (and ultimately the gutless host), both partners also have to cope with its toxicity. This study demonstrates abundant large sulfur crystals restricted to the trophosome area. Based on Raman microspectroscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis, these crystals have the same S8 sulfur configuration as the recently described small sulfur vesicles formed in the symbionts. The crystals reside adjacent to the symbionts in the trophosome. This suggests that their formation is either extra-or intracellular in symbionts. We propose that formation of these crystals provides both energy-storage compounds for the symbionts and serves the symbiosis by removing excess toxic sulfide from host tissues. This symbiont-mediated sulfide detoxification may have been crucial for the establishment of thiotrophic symbiosis and continues to remain an important function of the symbionts.},
	keywords = {ROV Jason (Remotely Operated Vehicle)},
	issn = {1758-2229},
	doi = {10.1111/1758-2229.12149},
	author = {Eichinger, Irmgard and Schmitz-Esser, Stephan and Schmid, Markus and Fisher, Charles R and Bright, Monika}
}
@article {ISI:000323108100003,
	title = {{Morphology, microanatomy and sequence data of Sclerolinum contortum (Siboglindae, Annelida) of the Gulf of Mexico}},
	journal = {ORGANISMS DIVERSITY {\&} EVOLUTION},
	volume = {13},
	number = {3},
	year = {2013},
	month = {sep},
	pages = {311{\textendash}329},
	type = {Article},
	abstract = {Sclerolinum is a small genus of Siboglinidae (Annelida) living in an obligate mutualistic association with thiotrophic bacteria as adults. Its taxonomic position, based on morphology, has been controversial; however, molecular data point to a sister taxa relationship with vestimentiferans. 16S rRNA gene sequencing and comparative morphology revealed that the studied population from deep-sea hydrocarbon seeps of the Gulf of Mexico belongs to Sclerolinum contortum known from the Arctic Sea. Since no anatomical and microanatomical studies have been published yet, we conducted such a study on S. contortum using serial sectioning and light and transmission electron microscopy. We show that the Sclerolinum body, divided into a head, trunk, and opisthosoma, is very similar to that of the vestimentiferans, and therefore we propose that the body regions are homologous in both taxa.},
	keywords = {ROV Jason (Remotely Operated Vehicle)},
	issn = {1439-6092},
	doi = {10.1007/s13127-012-0121-3},
	author = {Eichinger, Irmgard and Hourdez, Stephane and Bright, Monika}
}
@article {ISI:000311041900011,
	title = {{Community study of tubeworm-associated epizooic meiobenthos from deep-sea cold seeps and hot vents}},
	journal = {MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES},
	volume = {468},
	year = {2012},
	pages = {135{\textendash}148},
	type = {Article},
	abstract = {The permanent metazoan meiofauna associated with vestimentiferan tubeworm aggregations from hydrocarbon seeps of the upper Louisiana slope in the Green Canyon (similar to 550 m) and the lower slope in Atwater Valley (similar to 2200 m) of the Gulf of Mexico was characterized. Meiofauna abundance, diversity, and community composition at genus level were compared between these seep sites, and with those of tubeworms from hydrothermal vents of the East Pacific Rise (Gollner et al. 2007; Mar Ecol Prog Ser 337: 39-49). The abundance was not significantly different between the 2 seep sites, and was also similar to those found at vents. A total of 150 meiobenthic genera were identified from the cold seep sites. While no significant difference in univariate measurements of diversity was detected, a shift in community composition between the shallow and the deep seep site was found. The hot vent communities included a total of only 17 genera and the diversity measurements were significantly lower at vents than at seeps. Also, Bray-Curtis dissimilarity was 97{\%} between the meiobenthic communities from seeps and vents. The genera richness was negatively correlated with maximum temperature and maximum sulfide concentration, and positively correlated with minimum pH value. We conclude that the harsh conditions tubeworms experience at vents compared to the moderate conditions at cold seeps, as well as the longevity of cold seeps surrounded by sedimented deep-sea plains but short-lived vents on basaltic mid-ocean ridges, might explain the contrasting diversity patterns.},
	keywords = {ROV Jason (Remotely Operated Vehicle)},
	issn = {0171-8630},
	doi = {10.3354/meps09889},
	author = {Degen, Renate and Riavitz, Laura and Gollner, Sabine and Vanreusel, Ann and Plum, Christoph and Bright, Monika}
}
@article {ISI:000290596200008,
	title = {{Organization and Microanatomy of the Sclerolinum contortum Trophosome (Polychaeta, Siboglinidae)}},
	journal = {BIOLOGICAL BULLETIN},
	volume = {220},
	number = {2},
	year = {2011},
	month = {apr},
	pages = {140{\textendash}153},
	type = {Article},
	abstract = {The trophosome-an organ especially evolved to accommodate symbiotic bacteria-is a key character of the polychaete family Siboglinidae. Astonishingly, the trophosomes vary in organization and origin between the different siboglinid taxa. The trophosome of the small genus Sclerolinum was nearly unknown until now. Here we investigated the trophosome of S. contortum from the Gulf of Mexico, using light and electron microscopy. We show that this organ derives from the visceral mesoderm and propose that the trophosome of the sister clade Vestimentifera and Sclerolinum is a homologous character. Like that of juvenile vestimentiferans, the trophosome of Sclerolinum trophosome is simply organized. This study reveals that the Sclerolinum trophosome exhibits two regions that differ in the organization of host tissue and the size and shape of the symbionts. We suggest that a specific cell cycle within the symbiont-housing organ is directed along the longitudinal body axis, with a region of proliferation anteriorly and a region of degradation posteriorly. Using Raman microspectroscopy we demonstrate that the endosymbionts of S. contortum from the Gulf of Mexico contain sulfur vesicles, and we argue for a chemoautotrophic sulfur-oxidizing metabolism.},
	keywords = {ROV Jason (Remotely Operated Vehicle)},
	issn = {0006-3185},
	author = {Eichinger, Irmgard and Klepal, Waltraud and Schmid, Markus and Bright, Monika}
}
