1st Edition

Methods for the Study of Deep-Sea Sediments, Their Functioning and Biodiversity

Edited By Roberto Danovaro Copyright 2009
    458 Pages 158 B/W Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    For years scientists viewed the deep sea as calm, quiet, and undisturbed, with marine species existing in an ecologically stable and uniform environment. Recent discoveries have completely transformed that understanding and the deep sea is recognized as a complicated and dynamic environment with a rich diversity of marine species. Carefully designed to provide practical information in an easily accessible format, Methods for the Study of Deep-Sea Sediments, Their Functioning, and Biodiversity covers how to investigate the biological components through analysis of their biodiversity. It also provides the protocols and methodological details needed to investigate some aspects of the functional biodiversity of variables commonly utilized to describe and understand the drivers of deep-sea ecosystem functioning.

    This volume contains detailed protocols for analyzing all benthic components from benthic viruses, prokaryotes, protozoa, foraminifera, to meio-, macro-, and megafauna. It includes step-by-step procedures, with additional notes on the crucial steps or possible difficulties arising from the analysis. Each chapter provides a brief introduction, a description of the sampling procedures and/or the sample treatment, and then the laboratory protocols, providing information on instrument setting and/or the solutions utilized. Each chapter also contains a visual scheme of the protocol for use during laboratory activities and for tracking each laboratory step. Linking information on biodiversity with the functioning of the marine ecosystems, the book covers all living components of the benthos. It provides practical information for anyone studying deep-sea habitats, their characteristics, functioning, and biodiversity.

    Deep-Sea Environmental Variables

    Total Organic Matter and Water Contents, Grain Size, Bulk Density, Porosity, and Redox Potential of Sediments

    Total Organic Carbon, Total Nitrogen, and Organic Phosphorus in Marine Sediments

    Bioavailable Organic Matter: Total and Enzymatically Hydrolyzable Proteins, Carbohydrates, and Lipids

    Photosynthetic Pigment Concentrations in Marine Sediments

    Food Supply of Organic Matter to the Deep-Sea Floor

    Fluxes of Labile Organic Matter to the Sea Floor

    Total Carbohydrate Flux from Sediment Trap Samples

    Total Protein Flux from Sediment Trap Samples

    Total Lipid Flux from Sediment Trap Samples

    Total DNA from Sediment Trap Samples

    Phytopigment Flux from Sediment Trap Samples

    Deep-Sea Benthic Life

    Viral Abundance

    Prokaryotic Abundance

    Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization and Catalyzed Reporter Deposition for Benthic Prokaryote Assemblage Structure

    Prokaryotic Abundance by Real-Time PCR

    Abundance of Heterotrophic Benthic Protists

    Abundance of Benthic Foraminifera

    Abundance of Metazoan Meiofauna

    Macrofaunal Abundance

    Megafauna Abundance

    Deep-Sea Benthic Diversity

    Extraction and Purification of DNA from Marine Sediments Suitable for the Analysis of Prokaryotic Diversity

    Archaeal Diversity Analysis Using 16S rDNA T-RFLP (Terminal-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms)

    Benthic Bacterial Diversity Based on Cloning and Sequencing of 16S rRNA Genes

    Benthic Bacterial Diversity Analysis Based on ARISA (Automated Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analysis)

    Meiofaunal Diversity

    Macrofaunal and Megafaunal Diversity

    Parameters for the Measurement of Marine Benthic Structural and Functional Diversity

    Deep-Sea Benthic Functioning

    Deep-Sea Experiments and Manipulations

    Effect of Pressure on Enzymatic Activities, Viral Production, and Prokaryotic Heterotrophic Production

    Organic Carbon Remineralization Rates in Marine Surface Sediments Derived from Shipboard Pore-Water Oxygen Microprofiles

    Degradation and Turnover of Organic Matter in Marine Sediments

    Extracellular DNA Extraction from Marine Sediments

    Degradation of Extracellular DNA in Marine Sediments

    Viral Production in Marine Sediments

    Determination of Living/Dead and Active/Dormant Bacterial Fractions in Marine Sediments

    Prokaryotic Biomass in Marine Sediments

    Benthic Prokaryotic Heterotrophic Production Using the Leucine Incorporation Method

    Prokaryotic Chemoautotrophic Production in Marine Sediments

    Meiofaunal Biomass and Secondary Production

    Macrofaunal and Megafaunal Biomass and Biochemical Composition

    Protistan Grazing on Benthic Prokaryotes

    Meiobenthos Predation on Prokaryotes

    Analysis of Benthic Food Webs and Benthic Trophodynamics

    Suggested Readings for the Study of Deep-Sea Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning

    Suggested Readings

    Index

    Biography

    Director Department of Marine Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy