Upon reaching the lab the specimen had its 3rd left walking leg removed and the rest was prepared for transfer to the Chicago Field Museum of Natural History for identification. The leg removed will be analyzed for stable isotopes and lipid biomarkers. These will be used to determine what part in the hydrothermal vent ecosytem food web it is part of. By knowing specifically what organisms feed on and are consumed themselves, researchers hope to find basic compounds from one organism in those that ate them. They use the fatty acids that make lipids in the same manner.
Samples tissue from organism is ground up and analyzed using some extremely complex equipment.
Based on the amounts of these specific elements and building block compounds found, it is possible to theorize which organism is the food for another. One group though is still part of the Bacteria group. The Moneran classification is no longer used by most microbiologists. In fact, the whole system of classification is undergoing some revamping, so maybe in a few years the picture will be clearer. Recently, Canada established the Endeavor segment of the Juan da Fuca ridge as a Marine Protected Area.