About this Research Topic
Seafloor fluid and gas emission has been revealed to be a geographically widespread phenomenon in recent years as researchers have discovered new off-axis hydrothermal vent fields and previously unmapped shallow (deltaic, continental shelf) and deep water cold seeps. Seafloor seep emissions play a critical role in global biogeochemical cycles, but also contribute to the development of economically important mineral deposits that are increasingly targeted for exploitation. Hydrothermal vents and cold seeps host unique microbiological and macrofaunal communities that provide clues to life on primordial Earth, and seafloor fluid and gas emissions play a complex role in microbial dispersal, ocean chemistry, plankton dynamics, and possibly global climate. This Research Topic will address the knowledge gaps about the linked chemistry, macro/microbiology, physics, and geology of seafloor emissions and explore both the economic potential and conservation efforts associated with hydrothermal vents and cold seeps.
The aim of this current Research Topic is to provide an interdisciplinary overview of the latest research related to: (1) the geological conditions which give rise to active deep-sea and coastal seeps and constrain their spatio-temporal evolution, (2) the potential which seep localities hold as valuable future economic resources , (3) the impact that active seeps potentially have on greenhouse gas emissions and global carbon budget (4) the biological importance and species diversity related to seep sites, and (5) the role that cold seeps and hydrothermal chimneys play in marine ecology in general. An integrated view of how seep sites develop, both geologically and biologically, is essential prior to discussions of potential commercial exploitation. The conservation of selected seep sites as biological preserves and as areas of relatively pristine study for long-term scientific research is also important before commercial exploitation of these submarine resources is considered.
Areas that may be covered in this Research Topic may include, but are not limited to:
• Biogeochemistry of mud volcanoes, cold seeps, and hydrothermal vents;
• Multidisciplinary studies linking chemistry, micro/macrobiology, physics, and/or geology of seeps;
• The economics of exploiting minerals/gases associated with vents and cold seeps;
• Conservation and management principles for seafloor seep settings;
• The role of seafloor emissions in ocean chemistry and global biogeochemical cycles;
• Biology of marine species related to seep and vent environments;
• The growth of seep-related authigenic mineral deposits;
• Coastal (deltas, estuaries, continental shelf) seeps, including their role as microhabitats; and
• New discoveries of hydrothermal or cold seep fields and analysis of seep geologic drivers.
The aim of this current Research Topic is to provide an interdisciplinary overview of the latest research related to: (1) the geological conditions which give rise to active deep-sea and coastal seeps and constrain their spatio-temporal evolution, (2) the potential which seep localities hold as valuable future economic resources , (3) the impact that active seeps potentially have on greenhouse gas emissions and global carbon budget (4) the biological importance and species diversity related to seep sites, and (5) the role that cold seeps and hydrothermal chimneys play in marine ecology in general. An integrated view of how seep sites develop, both geologically and biologically, is essential prior to discussions of potential commercial exploitation. The conservation of selected seep sites as biological preserves and as areas of relatively pristine study for long-term scientific research is also important before commercial exploitation of these submarine resources is considered.
Areas that may be covered in this Research Topic may include, but are not limited to:
• Biogeochemistry of mud volcanoes, cold seeps, and hydrothermal vents;
• Multidisciplinary studies linking chemistry, micro/macrobiology, physics, and/or geology of seeps;
• The economics of exploiting minerals/gases associated with vents and cold seeps;
• Conservation and management principles for seafloor seep settings;
• The role of seafloor emissions in ocean chemistry and global biogeochemical cycles;
• Biology of marine species related to seep and vent environments;
• The growth of seep-related authigenic mineral deposits;
• Coastal (deltas, estuaries, continental shelf) seeps, including their role as microhabitats; and
• New discoveries of hydrothermal or cold seep fields and analysis of seep geologic drivers.
Keywords: hydrocarbon seep, hydrothermal vent, cold seep, gas chimney, seep ecology, methane plume, mud volcano, authigenic minerals
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
