Données écologiques sur un nouveau site d'hydrothermalisme actif de la ride du Pacifique oriental

The Biocyatherm expedition to hydrothermal vent area at 11-13°N used the French manned submersible Cyana to map the animal communities at three sites of the East Pacific Rise. Using the submarine's external arm, samples of animals, water, and sediment were taken for identification and analysis and careful temperature measurements were made in the immediate vicinity of the megafaunal species that dominate a series of concentric zones surrounding the hydrothermal sources. In general the Il-BON sites most resemble those recently explored at 21°N, rather than those at Galapagos due to the presence of high temperature sources of hydrothermal fluid and alvinellid polychaetes.