Macrofauna community of the cold seep area at Site F, South China Sea

A cold seep is one of the typical deep-sea chemical energy ecosystems and a hotspot for studying unique life processes biogeochemical cycles in deep sea. Macrofauna, which most important components ecosystem, has not been thoroughly studied. We examined macrofauna community at Site F using images collected 2016 by an imaging laser profiling system biological samples 2020 2021 TV grab remotely operated vehicle. In total, 41 species were found. The overall number identified (20,000 m 2 ) reached 252,943 individuals, biomass 726.15 kg dry weight. As dominant species, Gigantidas platifrons Shinkaia crosnieri their highest densities 629 396 individuals/m , respectively. comparisons between different stations revealed that diversity density, even much higher south than north 2020. Correlation analysis showed methane had positive effect on density. Compared with S. G. seems to be more adapted harsh environment. Methane consumption rates show are influencing seafloor fluxes. Our findings provide valuable insights into ecology, structure, biota-environment interaction F.