Interactions of metallic elements and organisms within hydrothermal vents

This study investigated the bioaccumulation of trace elements in species living within deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Trace elements were quantified in whole organs known to be involved in exchanges with the surrounding medium or in detoxification processes. The binding of heavy metals to specific metalloproteins was studied as well as their balance within subcellular fractions. Sequestration of trace elements under insoluble forms appears to be the major adaptive pathway for polychaetes. Crustaceans show a high capacity for metallothionein induction, as demonstrated by quantitative analyses.