Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Biomass And Mass Balance Isotope Content Of Mussel Seep Populations, Philip Martin Riekenberg

LSU Master's Theses

Cold seep mussels, Bathymodiolus childressi, are common cold seep constituents that form large populations at upper continental slope (500-1000 m) cold seep sites in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. These mussels utilize methane present through symbiotic relationships with methanotrophic bacteria. This study uses a coupled isotope technique to determine the relative incorporation of respiratory carbon in the shell as a measure of the availability of methane between different seep sites. This method indicates a higher abundance of methane at the Brine Pool site than at the Bush Hill site which appears significantly more resource limited and that changes in methane …