The shallow hydrothermal vents of Prony

A team of international researchers from MIO, Université de Pau et Pays de l'Adour, Université de Reims Champagne Ardenne and Institut de Ciències del Mar Barcelona studied the shallow hydrothermal vents of Prony, New Caledonia. During 4 weeks, we sampled several vent sites in the Bay of Prony, of which the most prominent ones are the Needle, Bain des Japonais and Rivière de Kaori.

The fieldwork was the opportunity to inaugurate the new IRD research boat Coraline, the first 50+m dives and infrared mapping with a drone. The objectives of the mission are double : Investigate the inputs and biogeochemistry of mercury and other elements, their role in shaping the microbial communities as well as the propagation and possible impacts on the local trophic web (HOT-Hg project), and Investigate the diversity of the alkaliphilic microorganism and their contribution to the H2 and CH4 budget of this extreme ecosystem (MICROPRONY project).

Nous remercions l'équipe de plongée de l'IRD Bertrand Bourgeois, Magali Boussion, Mahé Dumas, Jordi Giraud, le capitaine Martin Nguyen, le support local à l'IRD Nouméa en particulier France Bailly, Vincent Robert, Cyzié Montazi, Céline Bachelier, Amandine Delepierre, Véronique Perrin et Clarisse Majorel.

Nous remercions les financeurs ANR HOT_Hg, ANR MICROPRONY, IRD MLD et MIO Action Transverse.