Hydrothermal vent species thrive in the boundary layer, where the vent fluid mixes with seawater and thermal chemical conditions strongly vary in space and time. Large chemosymbiotic species, like the mussel Bathymodiolus azoricus, form high biomass, create structural habitat for other vent species and export organic material to the periphery. However, to date, limited knowledge is available about the influence of habitats on the functions supported by biomass-dominant species over the variety of geochemical environments they occupy on mid-ocean ridges. Chemical mapping using in-situ sensors paired with photo mosaicking of mussel beds can be used to explore the suitability of these habitats for biomass formation and the micro-habitat preferences of B. azoricus at vent sites. In this study, we measure sulphide, pH, Eh and temperature on the mussel beds and describe a density of mussels higher than reported before for mussels at Rainbow, which has previously been described as an unfavourable vent field for the formation of large mussel beds. This lays a foundation for determining what role these vent habitats play in the production of organic carbon and the provision of habitat for new recruits to the community.
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