International study of larval dispersal and population connectivity at hydrothermal vents in the U.S. Marianas Trench Marine National Monument

Deep-sea, chemosynthesis-based ecosystems, such as hydrothermal vents, have received increasing attention in the past decade for protection of biodiversity and ecosystem function. For these spatially discrete habitats, dispersal of larvae in the plankton, settlement to the seafloor, and recruitment are processes that connect populations of benthic fauna. Knowledge of these processes is vital to understanding the resilience of vent ecosystems to disturbance or removal of sources of propagules. In particular, hydrothermal vents may be impacted by human activities including scientific research, eco-tourism, bioprospecting, and polymetallic sulfide mining. In 2009 the first Marine Protected Area (MPA) for vents in the U.S. EEZ was established as part of the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument (MTMNM). The vents in this region are located along the Mariana back-arc spreading center (BASC) and volcanic arc.