Ecology of the Menez Gwen hydrothermal vent field (Mid-Atlantic Ridge/Azores Triple Junction)
Colaço, A.; Desbruyères, D.; Comtet, T.; Alayse, A.M. (1998). Ecology of the Menez Gwen hydrothermal vent field (Mid-Atlantic Ridge/Azores Triple Junction). Cah. Biol. Mar. 39(3-4): 237-240. https://dx.doi.org/10.21411/CBM.A.3D6E4229
In: Cahiers de Biologie Marine. Station Biologique de Roscoff: Paris. ISSN 0007-9723; e-ISSN 2262-3094
Also appears in:
(1998). Proceedings of the First International Symposium on Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Biology: Funchal, Madeira, Portugal 20-24 October 1997. Cahiers de Biologie Marine, 39(3-4). Station Biologique de Roscoff: Roscoff. 219-392 pp., more
The Menez Gwen area was discovered during the DIVA 1 cruise and is located on the volcanic segment north of the Lucky Strike segment between 37o35'N and 38oN (Mid-Atlantic Ridge/ATJ). The hydrothermal area is located between 37o50.45'N and 37o50.56'N at 840-870 m water depth (Fouquet et al., 1994). One of the characteristics of this segment is the absence of a central rift. The main volcanic feature is a circular volcano at the central part of the segment. The Menez Gwen site is situated near the top of the young volcano at the bottom of the graben. The volcano is composed entirely of extremely fresh pillows with no sediment cover ( Fouquet et al., 1994).The chimneys are typically small and essentially composed of white anhydrite, formed by the mixing of seawater and hydrothermal fluid. Around these small white chimneys, mounds with hot water diffusing through the surfaces can be found. These mounds are rich in barite (Fouquet et al., 1994). Around this small white mountain, very fresh pillow lavas make the bullet of this area. The fluids of these small chimneys are very clear, and flow vigorously. The Menez Gwen fauna is similar to the Lucky Strike fauna, but it differs markedly from the fauna previously described from other MAR hydrothermal areas. The aim of this study is to describe the Menez Gwen fauna and to compare it with other shallow water hydrothermal areas.
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