The effect of sulfide and an increased food supply on the meiofauna and macrofauna at the East Flower Garden brine seep

摘要: A sulfurous brine seep at the East Flower Garden Bank, northwest Gulf of Mexico, produces conditions conducive to growth a luxuriant prokaryotic biota. Hydrodynamic cropping continually harvests this biota and distributes it sandy-bottom hard-bank benthic communities downstream seep. Consequently, both macro- meiofaunal abundances are dramatically increased above regional norm in parts system. When sulfide is present, lower Bilaterian groups belonging meiofauna dominate community; without sulfide, macrofaunal groups, particularly crustaceans, community. Outside influence seep, copepods predominate. Changes taxonomic composition abundance indicate that benthos 70–80 m depth bank foodlimited that, under these conditions, meiofauna, higher community numerically. Perhaps, food-limiting compete favorably with macrofauna for food.