Cold Seep Epifaunal Communities on the Hikurangi Margin, New Zealand: Composition, Succession, and Vulnerability to Human Activities
Figure 2
Hikurangi Margin cold seep habitats and fauna (1).
(A) bacterial mats on soft sediments at North Tower; (B) sulphide-rich sediment patch with high density ampharetid polychaete population and (inset) characteristic ‘raindrop’ patterning at North Tower; (C) extensive Calyptogena sp. shell valves surrounding a population of live clams (yellow outline) with live and dead Bathymodiolus sp. mussels at Tui; (D) high density Lamellibrachia sp. tubeworm population at Southwest Moa showing tubes emerging from upper surface of carbonate concretions; (E) high densities of Stelletta n. sp. sponges and Bathymodiolus sp. mussels (along ledge at top) at Southwest Moa, and (F) scleractinian and gorgonian corals on weathered carbonates at Moa. Scale bars show 0.2 m.