Abstract
This work reports on a preliminary taxonomic study of epibenthic macroinvertebrates collected or observed by underwater video at the Haima cold seeps and in adjacent deep-sea habitats, including a mud volcano field and Ganquan Plateau, during an expedition in the South China Sea by the Chinese-manned submersible Shenhai Yongshi in May 2018. A total of 41 species belonging to 6 phyla were identified, among which 34 species were collected from the Haima cold seeps. Mollusks and crustaceans that are specialized in reducing habitats were predominant in biotopes of the Haima cold seeps, whereas sponges and cold-water corals and their commensals were prominent in communities of the mud volcano field and the slopes of Ganquan Plateau. The distribution and faunal composition of each taxonomic group are discussed.
Highlights
Cold seeps are areas of the seafloor, where hydrocarbonrich fluid and gases leak from fissures and emerge through the sediments and into the water column, creating unique habitats
In 2015, another active cold-seep field in the South China Sea was identified on the northwestern continental slope, characterized by patches of authigenic carbonate rocks protruding from the muddy seafloor, which contains at least two seepage sites (Fang et al 2019; Liang et al 2017)
The present study summarizes and reports the taxonomic findings on epibenthic macrofauna from Haima cold seeps and nearby ecosystems, based on specimens collected and photographed during the expedition, to provide an overview of the species composition and biodiversity characteristics of the macrofaunal assemblages in these deep-sea habitats
Summary
Cold seeps are areas of the seafloor, where hydrocarbonrich fluid and gases leak from fissures and emerge through the sediments and into the water column, creating unique habitats. In 2015, another active cold-seep field in the South China Sea was identified on the northwestern continental slope, characterized by patches of authigenic carbonate rocks protruding from the muddy seafloor, which contains at least two seepage sites (Fang et al 2019; Liang et al 2017). This area was named the Haima cold seeps and has attracted increasing attentions since its discovery. The present study summarizes and reports the taxonomic findings on epibenthic macrofauna from Haima cold seeps and nearby ecosystems, based on specimens collected and photographed during the expedition, to provide an overview of the species composition and biodiversity characteristics of the macrofaunal assemblages in these deep-sea habitats
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