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Published on: August 8, 2019
Activity rhythms in the deep-sea: a chronobiological approach
Jacopo Aguzzi1, Joan Batista Company, Corrado Costa
1Instituto de Ciencias del Mar-CSIC, Paseo Maritimo de la Barceloneta, 37-49. 08003 Barcelona, Spain. jaguzzi@cmima.csic.es
Frontiers in Bioscience (Landmark Edition)
|January 4, 2011
Summary
Deep-sea decapods may use internal tides or currents as daily cues. Seasonal rhythms might be linked to surface productivity or internal biological clocks, studied using new deep-sea technologies.
Area of Science:
- Marine Biology
- Deep-Sea Ecology
- Chronobiology
Background:
- Deep ocean waters (>200m) cover 70% of Earth's surface.
- Light diminishes with depth, making it absent in deep-sea environments.
- Biorhythms in deep-sea organisms are influenced by environmental cues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review behavioral rhythms of deep-sea decapods in aphotic zones.
- To explore potential synchronizing mechanisms for deep-sea decapod daily and seasonal rhythms.
- To suggest future research directions using advanced observation technologies.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on deep-sea decapod behavior.
- Analysis of potential environmental and endogenous cues for biological rhythms.
- Discussion of technological advancements for in situ observation.
Main Results:
- Internal tides and inertial currents may act as zeitgebers for deep-sea decapods.
- Benthopelagic coupling can indirectly synchronize species to the day-night cycle.
- Seasonal rhythms may be exogenous (linked to productivity) or endogenous (melatonin-mediated).
Conclusions:
- Deep-sea decapods exhibit behavioral rhythms despite the absence of light.
- Permanent video observatories are crucial for studying deep-sea decapod behavior and movement.
- Future research should leverage new technologies to understand chronobiology in deep-sea ecosystems.
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