Geochemical records of biological carriers on deepsea hydrothermal vent and methane seep fields

The environments of cold seep and hydrothermal vent are the main windows for material exchange and energy flow between lithosphere and outer spheres, and their unique geological conditions and nutrient patterns give birth to the lush biological communities and ecosystems. The change of physical and chemical properties of extreme environment will affect the geochemical information carried by the organisms living in extreme environment, so the extreme environment organisms could be used as a effective proxy for environmental recovery. In this paper, attempt is made to address the concerned geochemical information with emphases on biological species, spatial distribution pattern, mineral geochemistry of biocarrier rocks, geochemical indicators of biological elements and isotopes, and lipid biomarker in paleoenvironmental reconstruction. The application of the information to the restoration of sedimentary environments is discussed, in addition to future research directions. We hope that the introduction may raise interests and attentions from researchers.