[M-IS19] Biogeosciences of cold seeps, mud volcanoes, and hydrothermal vents

[MIS19-02] Introduction of environmental studies using DNA analysis of deep-sea organisms around methane hydrate bearing regions

★Invited Papers

*Iguchi Akira^1,2, Hiroki Kise³, Yuki Ota³, Eri Ikeuchi¹, Miyuki Nishijima¹, Hiroshi Ishida⁴, Ayumi Tsukasaki³, Masahiro Suzumura³, Atsushi Suzuki^1,2 (1.Geological Survey of Japan, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 2.Research Laboratory on Environmentally-conscious Developments and Technologies [E-code], AIST, 3.Environmental Management Research Institute, AIST, 4.The Marine Ecology Research Institute)

Keywords:Methane hydrate, environmental impact assessment, biodiversity, genetic connectivity, biological effects

In the deep-sea area of the Japan Sea, where methane hydrate is present, an environmental impact assessment is being studied as a project, assuming the development of the marine resource. In the process, it is being discussed how to acquire environmental baseline data on biodiversity and genetic connectivity in the surrounding regions and how to assess the biological effects of environmental changes envisaged during development. High-throughput sequencers, which can obtain large amounts of DNA sequence data, are used for a variety of applications, including comprehensive biodiversity assessment such as environmental DNA analysis, genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism based connectivity analysis, and comprehensive gene expression analysis when a species is subjected to stress exposure. In this project, high-throughput sequencers are also being used to advance environmental research with a view to diversity, connectivity and even stress responses. In this presentation, we will introduce the latest results of the diversity assessment of eukaryotes and their relationship with environmental factors using environmental samples, connectivity analysis of major benthic species in the wide range of Japan Sea, and stress exposure experiments and gene expression analysis of deep-sea amphipods, which are dominant in deep-sea regions, and discuss future directions. This study was conducted as part of the methane hydrate research project funded by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Japan.