Food web structure and trophic interactions at the recently discovered deep-sea La Scala hydrothermal vent field (SW Pacific).

Hydrothermal vents are features of the seafloor where fluids (acidic, geothermally heated water enriched in chemical compounds such as hydrogen sulphide) discharge in the water column. These fluid emissions sustain unusual chemosynthesis-based ecosystems where abundant micro-organisms and animal communities can thrive under extreme conditions. In May 2019, the La Scala vent field was discovered in Woodlark Basin (Papua New Guinea, SW Pacific). Several active "black smokers" harbouring dense fauna were found at depths ranging from 3300 to 3400 m. The main engineer species were symbiont-bearing gastropods Ifremeria nautilei and Alviniconcha spp. in more active diffuse areas, and stalked barnacles Vulcanolepas sp. nov. in mildly active areas. At least 44 taxa were observed in these habitats. Here, we used trophic markers (stable isotope ratios of C, N and S) to identify energy fluxes supporting those communities, and understand how their feeding habits could influence interspecific interactions.

Most sampled animals primarily depended (either directly or indirectly) on endogenous chemosynthetic vent production for their nutrition. This dependence spanned all sampled taxonomic and functional groups. It extended to organisms considered as peripheral fauna, or not strictly found at vents, such as Vulcanolepas sp. nov., anemones, or scavenging gastropods. Moreover, other peripheral fauna fed on a mix of both chemosynthesis- and photosynthesis-derived items. This emphasizes the importance of exported vent production for the surrounding deep-sea fauna. Animal communities showed considerable trophic diversity, and depended on several bacterial production mechanisms. Many taxa co-relied on two or more carbon sources, and inter- and intra-taxon differences in feeding habits could lead to a more even segregation of available food resources. While many questions about environmental and biological drivers of food web structure at La Scala vent field remain open, our results constitute a first glimpse at processes shaping those freshly discovered communities.