A precautionary approach to protecting biodiversity on mid-ocean ridges, while permitting seabed mining, is to design and implement a network of areas protected from the effects of mining. Such a network should capture representative populations of vent endemic fauna within regions of connectivity and across persistent barriers, but determining where such connectivity and barriers exist is challenging. A promising approach is to use biophysical modeling to infer the spatial scale of dispersal and the positions where breaks in hydrographic connectivity occur. We use results from a deep-sea biophysical model driven by data from the global array of Argo probes for depths of 1000 m to estimate biophysical connectivity among fragmented hydrothermal vent habitats along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, from the equator northward to the Portuguese Exclusive Economic Zone surrounding the Azores. The spatial scale of dispersal varies along the ridge axis, with median dispersal distances for planktonic larval durations (PLDs) of 75 d ranging from 67 km to 304 km. This scale of dispersal leads to considerable opportunities for connectivity through mid-water dispersal. A stable pattern of five regions of biophysical connectivity was obtained for PLDs of 100 d or more. Connectivity barriers between these regions can persist even when planktonic larval duration extends beyond 200 d. For a 50 d PLD, one connectivity barrier coincides with the region of the genetic hybrid zone for northern and southern vent mussel species at the Broken Spur vent field. Additional barriers suggest potential for genetic differentiation that so far has not been detected for any taxon. The locations of persistent zones of connectivity and barriers to dispersal suggest that there may be multiple biogeographic subunits along the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge that should be taken into account in planning for effective environmental management of human activities.

在允许海底采矿的同时，保护大洋中脊生物多样性的预防方法是设计和实施一个不受采矿影响的区域网络。这样的网络应捕获连通性区域内并跨越持久性障碍的代表性通风特有动物区系种群，但要确定此类连通性和障碍在何处存在是具有挑战性的。一种有前途的方法是使用生物物理模型来推断散布的空间尺度和发生水文连通性中断的位置。我们使用深海生物物理模型的结果，该模型由Argo探针全球阵列提供的数据（深度为1000 m）驱动，以估算大西洋中脊沿线零散的热液喷口栖息地之间的生物物理连通性，从赤道向北到亚速尔群岛周围的葡萄牙专属经济区。扩散的空间尺度沿山脊轴线变化，浮游幼体持续时间（PLD）为75 d的中值扩散距离范围为67 km至304 km。这种分散规模导致通过中水分散产生大量的连通性机会。对于100 d或更长时间的PLD，获得了五个生物物理连通性区域的稳定模式。即使浮游幼虫的持续时间超过200 d，这些区域之间的连通性障碍也会持续存在。对于50 d PLD，一个连通性障碍与Broken Spur喷口场北部和南部喷口贻贝物种的遗传杂交区区域重合。其他障碍表明，迄今为止尚未发现任何分类单元的遗传分化潜能。连通性和扩散障碍的持久性区域的位置表明，在大西洋中脊北部可能存在多个生物地理亚单位，在规划有效的人类活动环境管理时应予以考虑。