Distribution Of Biota Research Articles

Emerging environmental pollutants hydroxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers: From analytical methods to toxicology research.

Hydroxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers (OH-PBDEs) are of particular concern due to their ubiquitous distribution and adverse health effects. Significant progress has been made in the characterization of OH-PBDEs by using mass spectrometry (MS). In this review, we summarize applications of MS-based techniques in detection, environmental and biota distribution, and potential health risk effects, hoping to unfold an overall picture on account of current knowledge of OH-PBDEs. The analytical methodologies are discussed from sample pretreatment to MS analysis. The methods including gas chromatography-MS (GC-MS), liquid chromatography-MS (LC-MS), and ion mobility spectrometry-MS (IMS-MS) are discussed. GC-MS is the most frequently adopted method in the analysis of OH-PBDEs due to its excellent chromatographic resolution, high sensitivity, and strong ability for unknown identification. LC-MS has been widely used for its high sensitivity and capability of direct analysis. As a newly developed technique, IMS-MS provides high specificity, which greatly facilitates the identification of isomers. OH-PBDEs pervasively existed in both abiotic and biotic samples, including humans, animals, and environmental matrices. Multiple adverse health effects have been reported, such as thyroid hormone disruption, estrogen effects, and neurotoxicity. The reported potential pathological mechanisms are also reviewed. Additionally, MS-based metabolomics, lipidomics, and proteomics have been shown as promising tools to unveil the molecular mechanisms of the toxicity of OH-PBDEs. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Mass Spec Rev.

Occurrence and seasonal variability of Dense Shelf Water Cascades along Australian continental shelves

Transport of water between the coast and the deeper ocean, across the continental shelf, is an important process for the distribution of biota, nutrients, suspended and dissolved material on the shelf. Presence of denser water on the inner continental shelf results in a cross-shelf density gradient that drives a gravitational circulation with offshore transport of denser water along the sea bed that is defined as Dense Shelf Water Cascade (DSWC). Analysis of field data, collected from multiple ocean glider data missions around Australia, confirmed that under a range of wind and tidal conditions, DSWC was a regular occurrence during autumn and winter months over a coastline spanning > 10,000 km. It is shown that even in the presence of relatively high wind- and tidal-induced vertical mixing, DSWCs were present due to the strength of the cross-shelf density gradient. The occurrence of DSWC around Australia is unique with continental scale forcing through air-sea fluxes that overcome local wind and tidal forcing. It is shown that DSWC acts as a conduit to transport suspended material across the continental shelf and is a critical process that influences water quality on the inner continental shelf.

РАЗРАБОТКА И ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЕ КАРТ УЯЗВИМОСТИ ПРИБРЕЖНО-МОРСКИХ ЗОН ОТ НЕФТИ: ПРОБЛЕМЫ, РЕШЕНИЯ, ПЕРСПЕКТИВЫ

Sea-coastal vulnerability maps to oil included in oil spill response plans minimize damage from spills and response operations themselves. Russian and foreign existing methods for constructing maps are not completely correct, since they are based on calculations using ordinal values, which is unacceptable. There are some problems in case of refusal from ranks: selection of uniform units for measuring density of biota distribution; assessment of vulnerability coefficients for biota living in the water column or on its surface. Possible solutions of these and other problems are given. The adoption of a unified Russian method of vulnerability mapping is discussed.

Lasting through the ice age: The role of the proglacial refugia in the maintenance of genetic diversity, population growth, and high dispersal rate in a widespread freshwater crustacean

Abstract The severe climatic changes during the Pleistocene ice ages have shaped the genetic structure and distribution of biota in Europe. We aimed to reveal in detail the genetic diversity, geographical population structure, historical and present demography, migration patterns, and the presence of possible glacial refugia within the nominative subspecies Asellus aquaticus aquaticus. We analysed DNA sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene and nuclear noncoding internal transcribed spacer II region, from populations inhabiting post‐glacial Europe (from the British Isles and Scandinavia to the northern Mediterranean and Black Sea coasts). The origin of the taxon, including establishment in the Dinaric Western Balkans, dates to the Middle/Late Pliocene, but most of its genetic diversity emerged during the Middle/Late Pleistocene before the Last Glacial Maximum. Despite the general absence of spatial genetic structure with population growth, we discovered two different phylogeographic stories across 11 clusters revealed by a coalescent approach. Firstly, the periglacial cluster group—spatially restricted mainly to the northern Balkans, Pannonian Basin, and Pontic Region—is older and more divergent. It apparently retained a relatively stable population size during the glacial‐interglacial cycles. Conversely, the proglacial cluster group—widely distributed in areas close to the glacier margins (north of the Alps, Sudetes, Carpathians) and in the Pannonian Basin—is younger and composed of closely related individuals. It originated in Pleistocene and lasted continuously through the Last Glacial Maximum in numerous high latitude refugia. This was probably due to the vast network of proglacial lakes and rivers, which played a crucial role in the maintenance of genetic diversity, population growth, and high dispersal rate. The evolutionary history of A. a. aquaticus reveals unexpected patterns and is an important lesson when making predictions for other aquatic taxa. Our results suggest that we should stop perceiving the proglacial habitats as lifeless ice desert.

Rapid unpredicted changes in the stratification of marine lake Mogilnoe (Kildin Island, the Barents Sea) through the early 21st century

Lake Mogilnoe is a rare example of an anchialine lake (with subterranean connection to the ocean) in the Arctic, a refuge for landlocked populations of marine organisms. The lake has been the subject of intensive studies since the end of the 19th century. Here we demonstrate that between the 2003–07 and 2015–18 observation periods this permanently stratified lake experienced significant changes. The surface salinity increased and exceeded the tolerance limits of many freshwater organisms. The bottom anoxia expanded from one-fifth to one-third of the lake volume. Such a turn in stratification affected both composition and distribution of biota: freshwater zooplanktonic species virtually disappeared, while benthic communities shifted to shallower depths. Although recent changes in the lake stratification are consistent with the long-term trend, their scale is much larger than has been observed during the past 120 years. It was earlier considered that the lake dynamics were mainly affected by human activity in the vicinity of the lake. However, lack of human activity around Mogilnoe during last decades persuades us to search for the natural causes of the recorded changes.

Range edges in heterogeneous landscapes: Integrating geographic scale and climate complexity into range dynamics.

The impacts of climate change have re-energized interest in understanding the role of climate in setting species geographic range edges. Despite the strong focus on species' distributions in ecology and evolution, defining a species range edge is theoretically and empirically difficult. The challenge of determining a range edge and its relationship to climate is in part driven by the nested nature of geography and the multidimensionality of climate, which together generate complex patterns of both climate and biotic distributions across landscapes. Because range-limiting processes occur in both geographic and climate space, the relationship between these two spaces plays a critical role in setting range limits. With both conceptual and empirical support, we argue that three factors-climate heterogeneity, collinearity among climate variables, and spatial scale-interact to shape the spatial structure of range edges along climate gradients, and we discuss several ways that these factors influence the stability of species range edges with a changing climate. We demonstrate that geographic and climate edges are often not concordant across species ranges. Furthermore, high climate heterogeneity and low climate collinearity across landscapes increase the spectrum of possible relationships between geographic and climatic space, suggesting that geographic range edges and climatic niche limits correspond less frequently than we may expect. More empirical explorations of how the complexity of real landscapes shapes the ecological and evolutionary processes that determine species range edges will advance the development of range limit theory and its applications to biodiversity conservation in the context of changing climate.

Mapping of Ecological Vulnerability of Sea-Coastal Zones to Oil Spills: A Preliminary Method Applied to Kola Bay, the Barents Sea

Preparedness for oil spill response is a challenge for many coastal countries. Responders are unable to take effective action unless maps that indicate areas with different vulnerability to oil pollution are available. Such maps, developed in many countries, are usually based on calculations with rank (ordinal) values. However, arithmetic operations with them cannot be allowed. The article describes a method of constructing maps using metric values. The calculations take into account the biomass and the quantity of important biota components, especially significant socio-economic objects and protected areas. The biota distribution densities are represented in the identical units. The vulnerability factors are assessed based on the potential impact of spilled oil on biota, as well as its sensitivity and recoverability after disturbance. The proposed method takes into account the different sensitivity of biota inhabiting in the water column and on the sea surface. Oil vulnerability maps for Kola Bay using the proposed algorithm are presented.

The Heterogeneity of the Abiotic and Biotic Components of Techno-Ecosystems: View from Space and from The Earth

The article discusses the use of different methods to assess the spatial structure of the biotic and abiotic component of the techno-ecosystems of cooling ponds of thermal and nuclear power plants in Belarus and Ukraine. Field studies provide point information on the parameters of biotic and abiotic variables, whereas statistical mapping and remote sensing methods makes it possible to generalize visualization and provides a holistic picture of the spatial heterogeneity of conditions and distribution of biota. Spatial changes in cooling ponds are mainly determined by hydrodynamic conditions in the pond and the presence of anthropogenic flow of cooling water. Studies have shown that the distribution of quantitative indicators of plankton in the surface layer in the Khmelnitsky NPP cooling pond was mostly determined by the position of individualstations and sections of the pond surface relative to manmade technical and wind circulation flows. In contrary, thermal conditions had the greatest influence on the characteristics of the plankton distribution in the Lukomskoye Lake - cooling pond of Lukomlskaya TPP.

НАЦІОНАЛЬНИЙ ПРИРОДНИЙ ПАРК "ВЕРХОВИНСЬКИЙ": ПРИРОДНІ ТА ІСТОРИКО-КУЛЬТУРНІ ЦІННОСТІ

The basis for preserving ecological balance and rational use of natural landscapes is the formation of a system of protected areas and objects. In the Ukrainian Carpathians, on the large areas naturally develop radical forests (virgin forests), the habitats of the bear, wolf, and many rare species of plants are preserved. Thus, the natural ecosystems of the Ukrainian Carpathians in the Nature Reserve Fund of Ukraine are the most represented. The consequence of increasingly global anthropogenic influence became a global phenomenon of fragmentation (decomposition) of the natural landscapes. One of relatively preserved natural variety is the areas of the national park “Verkhovynskyi”. The National Park “Verkhovynskyi” is a very important centre of the natural and cultural diversity of Ukraine. The main representative of the flora in the region is spruce common. Shrubberies on the territory of the Chyvchyn Mountains are represented by thickets of mountain pine. The biological value of the territory of the NP “Verkhovynskyi” is largely determined by the uniqueness of the high-altitude spruce forests. In the park, the animal world is rich and varied. Its biological uniqueness of its territory is largely determined by local landscape diversity. The landscape structure of the park area is the result of long-term interaction of the main landscape-factor factors: geological-geomorphological, hydro-climatic and biotic. The leading role belongs to the geological and geomorphological properties of the territory, which determine the climatic characteristics, the regime of humidification, distribution of biota and soil cover. The dominant position in the structure of landscapes is the high-altitude terrain of the steep-sloping erosion-denudation forest middle mountains. In contact with the Peneplainized highlands, the area has an island distribution in the form of mid-mountain spurs of the main ridge. Characteristic are tracts of convex crests of spurs, saddles and steep slopes. The historical and cultural value of the NP “Verkhovynskyi” district is based on the rich events of the history of the region. The territory of Verkhovyna district is the heart of Hutsulshchyna, and its centre is the village Verkhovyna. The successful operation of the NP “Verkhovynskyi” will be a major impetus for the tourist development of the Verkhovyna district. The orientation of the national natural park for the development of recreational activities will increase the number of tourists, will create additional demand for accommodation and food services that will be provided by the local population. Development of the tourism infrastructure of the park will give an impetus to the restoration and full functioning of the former and the creation of new settlements. Particular attention should be paid to laying the network of roads and tourist routes and their improvement. The scientific value of the territory of the NP “Verkhovynskyi” is high, which lies in the unique ability to study local natural ecosystems that are very close to natural or reference. The article analyzes in detail the natural peculiarity of the national park, and, to the extent possible volume of the article – unusually rich landscape and recreational resources (in particular, humanistic, historical, cultural, etc.) of its territory.

The Generation and Scaling of Longitudinal River Profiles

The apparent success of inverse modeling of continent‐wide drainage inventories is perplexing. An ability to obtain reasonable fits between observed and calculated longitudinal river profiles implies that drainage networks behave simply and predictably at length scales of O(102–103) km and time scales of O(100–102) Ma. This behavior suggests that rivers respond in an organized way to large‐scale tectonic forcing. On the other hand, stream power laws are empirical approximations since fluvial processes are complex, nonlinear, and probably susceptible to disparate temporal and spatial shocks. To bridge the gap between these different perceptions of landscape evolution, we present and interpret a suite of power spectra for African river profiles that traverse different climatic zones, lithologic boundaries, and biotic distributions. At wavelengths 102 km, power spectra have slopes of −2, consistent with red noise, demonstrating that profiles are self‐similar at these length scales. At wavelengths 102 km, there is a crossover transition to slopes of −1, consistent with pink noise, for which power scales according to the inverse of wavenumber. Onset of this transition suggests that spatially correlated noise, perhaps generated by instabilities in water flow and by lithologic heterogeneities, becomes more prevalent at wavelengths shorter than ∼100 km. At longer wavelengths, this noise gradually diminishes and self‐similar scaling emerges. Our analysis is consistent with the concept that complexities of river profile development can be characterized by an adaptation of the Langevin equation, by which simple advective models of erosion are driven by a combination of external forcing and noise.

Spatial distribution patterns of benthic macroinvertebrate functional feeding groups by stream size and gradient in Republic of Korea

Benthic macroinvertebrate functional feeding groups (FFGs) are influenced by the availability of food sources, which can be affected by stream size and gradient. We investigated the spatial distribution patterns of FFGs by stream size (stream order, catchment area and stream width) and gradient (altitude and slope). In addition, we attempted stream classification based on the distribution patterns of FFGs. To achieve these goals, a total of 996 sampling sites of national scale located in the Republic of Korea were investigated from 2008 to 2016. Among the five physical variables, stream width and slope showed linear relationships with the indicator values of FFGs. These two physical variables had larger influences on the distribution of FFGs compared to other variables. Geology (the type of rocks) showed little influences on the distribution of benthic macroinvertebrate communities. We classified streams focusing on catchment (stream size) area and altitude (stream gradient) because they are constants that do not change with disturbances. The FFGs and benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages were distinctly changed by stream types, indicating that the stream classification criterion adequately represented changes in physical variables in biotic terms. In addition, the distribution of FFGs and biotic assemblages showed that benthic macroinvertebrates in the Republic of Korea were more influenced by the altitude (stream gradient) than the catchment area (stream size). In overall, this study found that the stream size and gradient markedly influence the distribution of FFGs in national regions of the Republic of Korea. Further research is needed focusing on the level of microhabitats and other parameters to identify the promising variables that influence biotic distribution.

Estuarine Ecosystems and Their Place in Natural River Mouth Complexes of the Arctic: A Case Study of the Yenisei Mouth Area

The estuarine ecosystem is characterized by the mixing of seawater and freshwater with a resulting salinity of 0.5 to 22–26‰, which is preserved for no less than 2–3 weeks, and by the presence of specific brackish water species. The distinguishing features of Arctic estuarine ecosystems are a sharp thermohaline stratification of the waters and, as a consequence, a difference in the boundaries of the brackish water biota distribution near the bottom and in the pelagic zone. Note that only the bottom estuarine biocenoses are characteristic of the river mouth area. The most important factor in the Arctic estuarine ecosystems is the longitudinal migrations of the halocline, especially seasonal ones. The coincidence of the borders of distribution of the true brackish water species with the borders of hydrological and morphological regions of the Yenisei River estuary defined according to long-term observations is noteworthy. Given the relative similarity of the Arctic estuarine ecosystems in their physical, chemical, and biotic components associated with the latitudinal uniformity of the mouths, we assume the presence of this correlation in other estuarine areas as well. In this case, a single survey of the benthos may give the same result as multiyear series of hydrological observations in the regionalization of an estuarine ecosystem.

Biotic distribution within groundwater- is it really unpredictable?

Distribution of biota within groundwater is often patchy, and attributed to the heterogeneity of the aquifer environment. Geology and hydrological connectivity are often the factors that most influence water chemistry and habitat availability thus biota, however phreatophytic trees, other sources of carbon and nutrients may also influence biotic distribution. Critically, limited knowledge on the relative importance of such factors on the distribution of groundwater biota makes it difficult to distinguish natural variation from human impacts on groundwater ecosystems, thus inpact our ability to undertake biomonitoring of ecosystem health. This study uses complementary field surveys and laboratory studies to unravel the relative influence of water quality, climate, and sediment size on biotic communities. Field surveys combined traditional pumping and net collections with eDNA community profiling (metabarcoding) of 16S rDNA to characterise groundwater microbes in shallow alluvial aquifers within the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia. Laboratory studies examined the influence of sediment size on stygobiotic amphipods, syncarids and copepods. For stygofauna, sediment size, and thus size of interstitial voids, is a key limiting factor. For microbes, water chemistry influences microbial activity and functional processes, which may in turn influence biogeochemical cycling and ecosystem services provided by groundwater ecosystems.

Habitat characteristics, hydrology and anthropogenic pollution as important factors for distribution of biota in the middle Paraná River, Argentina

The regulation of anthropogenic pollution inputs into large rivers is an important aspect of ecological resilience of aquatic systems and river pollution management. The current study examined the relationship between contamination loads, hydrological and morphological patterns and the distribution of macroinvertebrates and epipelic diatoms in the middle Paraná River system to form part of the development of a pollution monitoring framework. Seven sampling sites were selected over three main river areas predominantly impacted by sewage effluent and agriculture activities. The sampling areas were the Paraná, Colastiné and Las Conchas rivers. In order to prevent dilution of pollutants and macroinvertebrate drift, sampling was performed during the base flow period of 2015 to determine pollution contaminated stretches of the river system. Results indicated that metals have been accumulated in river bottom sediments as a consequence of anthropogenic land use activities. Macroinvertebrate and epipelic diatom assemblages as bioindicators of anthropogenic pollution were evident downstream of urban sewage effluent discharges causing higher concentrations of Cr, As and Ni than the permitted threshold levels for bottom sediment.

Which Taxa Are Alien? Criteria, Applications, and Uncertainties

Human activities such as the transport of species to new regions and modifications of the environment are increasingly reshaping the distribution of biota. Accordingly, developing robust, repeatable, and consistent definitions of alien species that serve scientific and policy purposes has become of prime importance. We provide a set of classification criteria that are widely applicable across taxa and realms and offer guidance on their use in practice. The criteria focus on (a) acknowledging the role of assessment uncertainty, (b) incorporating time since introduction, (c) considering infraspecific taxonomic ranks, and (d) differentiating between alien species whose survival depends on explicit human assistance from those that survive without such assistance. Furthermore, we make recommendations for reducing assessment uncertainty, suggest thresholds for species assessment, and develop an assessment scheme. We illustrate the application of the assessment criteria with case studies. Finally, the implications for alien species management, policy, and research are discussed.

Community structure and distribution of benthic cyanobacteria in Antarctic lacustrine microbial mats.

The terrestrial Antarctic Realm has recently been divided into 16 Antarctic Conservation Biogeographic Regions (ACBRs) based on environmental properties and the distribution of biota. Despite their prominent role in the primary production and nutrient cycling in Antarctic lakes, cyanobacteria were only poorly represented in the biological dataset used to delineate these ACBRs. Here, we provide a first high-throughput sequencing insight into the spatial distribution of benthic cyanobacterial communities in Antarctic lakes located in four distinct, geographically distant ACBRs and covering a range of limnological conditions. Cyanobacterial community structure differed between saline and freshwater lakes. No clear bioregionalization was observed, as clusters of community similarity encompassed lakes from distinct ACBRs. Most phylotypes (77.0%) were related to cyanobacterial lineages (defined at ≥99.0% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity) restricted to the cold biosphere, including lineages potentially endemic to Antarctica (55.4%). The latter were generally rare and restricted to a small number of lakes, while more ubiquitous phylotypes were generally abundant and present in different ACBRs. These results point to a widespread distribution of some cosmopolitan cyanobacterial phylotypes across the different Antarctic ice-free regions, but also suggest the existence of dispersal barriers both within and between Antarctica and the other continents.

Scaling range sizes to threats for robust predictions of risks to biodiversity.

Assessments of risk to biodiversity often rely on spatial distributions of species and ecosystems. Range-size metrics used extensively in these assessments, such as area of occupancy (AOO), are sensitive to measurement scale, prompting proposals to measure them at finer scales or at different scales based on the shape of the distribution or ecological characteristics of the biota. Despite its dominant role in red-list assessments for decades, appropriate spatial scales of AOO for predicting risks of species' extinction or ecosystem collapse remain untested and contentious. There are no quantitative evaluations of the scale-sensitivity of AOO as a predictor of risks, the relationship between optimal AOO scale and threat scale, or the effect of grid uncertainty. We used stochastic simulation models to explore risks to ecosystems and species with clustered, dispersed, and linear distribution patterns subject to regimes of threat events with different frequency and spatial extent. Area of occupancy was an accurate predictor of risk (0.81<|r|<0.98) and performed optimally when measured with grid cells 0.1-1.0 times the largest plausible area threatened by an event. Contrary to previous assertions, estimates of AOO at these relatively coarse scales were better predictors of risk than finer-scale estimates of AOO (e.g., when measurement cells are <1% of the area of the largest threat). The optimal scale depended on the spatial scales of threats more than the shape or size of biotic distributions. Although we found appreciable potential for grid-measurement errors, current IUCN guidelines for estimating AOO neutralize geometric uncertainty and incorporate effective scaling procedures for assessing risks posed by landscape-scale threats to species and ecosystems.

Oxygen minimum zone biotic baseline transects for paleoceanographic reconstructions in Santa Barbara Basin, CA

We describe modern ocean floor biological trends employing exploratory Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Hercules dives in the Santa Barbara Basin, California, USA, through the Nautilus Exploration Program. Using ROV videos, in situ measurements, and sediment cores, we described oxygenation, temperature, biological zonation, and bulk sediment δ15N across three 120-meter vertical transects (from 380 to 500m, m) that cross the depth of the ventilating sill (475m) and upper OMZ boundary. These observations revealed major changes in the distribution of biota tied largely to changes in dissolved oxygen concentration. Upward increases in oxygen and temperature were coincident with successive disappearance and appearance of megafauna and foraminifera species and overall increases in community diversity. The most significant and abrupt change in seawater measurements, biological communities, sediment textures, and nitrogen isotopes were observed near the depth of the ventilating sill (from 480 to 450m). Microbial mats were observed up to the depth of 475m. Dense populations of Alia permodesta were identified at depths where dissolved oxygen ([O2]) was <2.4µM (from 500 to 460m). This taxon functioned as marking the boundary between the microbially-dominated and the megafauna-dominated communities. Bulk sediment δ15N values were elevated at 460m, however the mechanism of post-depositional enrichment at this water depth is unclear. These observations have allowed for the refinement of paleoecological reconstructions in margin zonation, as well as a comparative baseline for expected future vertical changes in the OMZ. The modern trends, when integrated with the paleoceanographic record, show that continental margin biotic zonations underwent major vertical migration during the last deglaciation. Conspicuously, at 15,500 years ago, biotic zonations in the upper water column were vertically compressed towards the ocean surface by 35% compared with modern patterns.

Experimental Approaches for Testing if Tolerance Curves Are Useful for Predicting Fitness in Fluctuating Environments

Most experimental studies on adaptation to stressful environments are performed under conditions that are typically rather constant and rarely ecologically relevant. Fluctuations in natural environmental conditions are ubiquitous and include for example variation in intensity and duration of temperature, droughts, parasite loads, and availability of nutrients, predators and competitors. The frequency and amplitude of many of these fluctuations are expected to increase with climate change. Tolerance curves are often used to describe fitness components across environmental gradients. Such curves can be obtained by assessing performance in a range of constant environmental conditions. In this perspective we shortly list theoretical and experimental evidence why results obtained under constant environmental conditions might be misleading for processes in nature and therefore may not be suitable for predicting fitness and future species distribution and abundance. We further suggest experimental avenues that can provide a better foundation for forecasts of the distribution of biota.

Complementary acoustic and optical methods for characterization of diffuse venting, gas seeps, and biota distributions at hydrothermal systems: A case study at Kick’em Jenny Volcano, Grenada, West Indies

Quantitatively assessing the impact of hydrothermal circulation on geological and biological systems in submarine environments requires accurate characterization of biota, fluid flow, and, in many shallow systems, gas discharge. In a single vent field, surface expressions of hydrothermal venting and vent biology are often widespread, presenting a significant technical challenge to such characterizations. Typically, attempts to overcome this challenge involve extrapolation of point measurements to estimate field-scale parameters. Extrapolation introduces large uncertainties, however. We present a case study at the Kick’em Jenny Volcano, Grenada, West Indies that jointly applies a set of complementary acoustic and optical measurement methods to significantly reduce uncertainty in field-scale flux estimates of diffuse venting, bubble streams, and distributions of microbial mats. Two classes of ROV-based methods are used: 1) survey-level techniques for accurately locating fluid and gas discharge across entire vent fields, and 2) local techniques that accurately measure fluid or gas fluxes just above a vent orifice. Survey level techniques include a structured light laser system to locate active diffuse venting and biological mats, and a high-resolution downward facing multibeam system that can resolve individual bubble streams separated by only centimeters. Local techniques include processing of stereo imagery to determine bubble stream parameters (rise rate, bubble size) and application of the Diffuse Flow Velocimetry technique to determine upwelling rates of diffuse effluent. Joint application of these methods provides a several times increase in the number of identified bubble streams relative to ship-board systems and a difference of up to 40 times in field-scale diffuse volume flux estimates relative to currently available techniques.