Abstract:
Deep-sea cold seep ecosystems are characterized by chemosynthesis-based trophic networks that support dense and diverse macrofaunal assemblages independent of sunlight. The trophic structure of six representative macrofaunal species—including
Gigantidas haimaensis (mussel),
Archivesica marissinica (clam),
Paraescarpia echinospica (tubeworm),
Branchipolynoe pettiboneae,
Phymorhynchus buccinoides, and
Neolithodes brodiei (king crab)—collected from the Haima cold seeps in the South China Sea, were investigated. Stable isotopes of carbon (δ
13C), nitrogen (δ
15N), and sulfur (δ
34S) of dissected soft tissues were analyzed, and the metabolic pathways and trophic networks were elucidated. Results show that
G. haimaensis had extremely low δ
13C values (63.9‰ to 52.5‰), indicating symbiosis with methane-oxidizing bacteria. In contrast, the clam and tubeworm exhibited higher δ
13C values and markedly low δ
34S values, being consistent with sulfide oxidation. Predatory species such as
B. pettiboneae that obtain energy from mussels by parasitic means, and
P. buccinoides show intermediate δ
13C and elevated δ
15N values, suggesting dietary reliance on mussels. The king crab occupied the highest trophic level with the highest δ
15N (8.8‰ to 11.2‰). The Bayesian mixing model (MixSIAR) was employed to estimate dietary contributions, allowing us to construct a trophic framework of the Haima seep ecosystem. This study highlights the application of multiple stable isotope tracers in resolving the carbon and sulfur cycling pathways and provided new insights into the biogeochemical interactions between cold seep fluids and benthic macrofauna.