Distribution of Gutless Siboglinid Worms (Annelida, Siboglinidae) in Russian Arctic Seas in Relation to Gas Potential

Abstract

In the Russian Arctic seas and adjacent areas of the Arctic basin, 120 sites of siboglinid records are currently known. Individuals belonging to 15 species have been collected. The largest number (49.2%) of records were made in the Barents Sea, followed by the Laptev Sea (37.5%) and the Arctic basin (10 records; 8.3%). No siboglinids have been reported from the Chukchi Sea. The largest number of species has been identified in both the Laptev Sea and Arctic basin (seven species each). Seventy-eight percent of the records were discovered at water depths down to 400 m. Many of the siboglinid records in the Arctic seas of Russia are associated with areas of high hydrocarbon concentrations. In the Barents Sea, Nereilinum murmanicum has been collected near the largest gas fields. The records of Oligobrachia haakonmosbiensis, N. murmanicum, Siboglinum ekmani, Siboglinum hyperboreum, Siboglinum norvegicum, as well as two undetermined species of siboglinids are associated with the marginal areas of bottom gas hydrates where methane emissions can occur. The Arctic seas of Russia feature vast areas of permafrost rocks containing gas hydrates flooded by the sea. Under the influence of river runoff, gas hydrates dissociate, and methane emissions occur. Crispabrachia yenisey and Galathealinum karaense were found in the Yenisei estuary, and O. haakonmosbiensis was found in the Lena estuary.

Performance of environmental DNA metabarcoding to identify and quantify benthic organisms in river ecosystems

“…Bryozoa also provide habitats and shelter for other organisms, such as small fish and invertebrates [39]. The Siboglinidae family has a long, slender body with hairy tentacle-like structures for filtering food and as a site for gas exchange [40].…”

Who Lives in the Hot Heart of the Cold Sea? A New Species of Provanna (Caenogastropoda: Provannidae) from the Hydrothermal Zone of Piip Volcano, Northwestern Pacific

“…Another difference between the obligate hydrothermal fauna of Piip Volcano and the background fauna is the absence of species shared with the Arctic Ocean. The chemosynthetic fauna of the Arctic basin has been poorly studied and, in general, its research is limited only to areas of methane seeps on the shelf and regions of possible wood falls [3,4,10,27]. Virtually nothing is known about the fauna of the vast venting areas of the Gakkel ridge [28].…”

“…This may be due both to the difficulty of colonizing these marine regions, and to the relatively small age of the Arctic landscapes. However, the exception to this are some reduced habitats, such as cold seeps, hydrothermal areas, and wood falls, which include endemics of at least the species level [3,4]. A detailed study and analysis of such endemics allows us to obtain information about the mechanisms of colonization and the age of the fauna of high-latitude marine regions.…”