Barite in hydrothermal environments as a recorder of subseafloor processes: a multiple‐isotope study from the Loki's Castle vent field

Barite chimneys are known to form in hydrothermal systems where barium‐enriched fluids generated by leaching of the oceanic basement are discharged and react with seawater sulfate. They also form at cold seeps along continental margins, where marine (or pelagic) barite in the sediments is remobilized because of subseafloor microbial sulfate reduction. We test the possibility of using multiple sulfur isotopes (δ³⁴S, Δ³³S, ?³⁶S) of barite to identify microbial sulfate reduction in a hydrothermal system. In addition to multiple sulfur isotopes, we present oxygen (δ¹⁸O) and strontium (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) isotopes for one of numerous barite chimneys in a low‐temperature (~20 °C) venting area of the Loki's Castle black smoker field at the ultraslow‐spreading Arctic Mid‐Ocean Ridge (AMOR). The chemistry of the venting fluids in the barite field identifies a contribution of at least 10% of high‐temperature black smoker fluid, which is corroborated by ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios in the barite chimney that are less radiogenic than in seawater. In contrast, oxygen and multiple sulfur isotopes indicate that the fluid from which the barite precipitated contained residual sulfate that was affected by microbial sulfate reduction. A sulfate reduction zone at this site is further supported by the multiple sulfur isotopic composition of framboidal pyrite in the flow channel of the barite chimney and in the hydrothermal sediments in the barite field, as well as by low SO₄ and elevated H₂S concentrations in the venting fluids compared with conservative mixing values. We suggest that the mixing of ascending H₂‐ and CH₄‐rich high‐temperature fluids with percolating seawater fuels microbial sulfate reduction, which is subsequently recorded by barite formed at the seafloor in areas where the flow rate is sufficient. Thus, low‐temperature precipitates in hydrothermal systems are promising sites to explore the interactions between the geosphere and biosphere in order to evaluate the microbial impact on these systems.     

Nutrient release and resuspension generated by ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernuus) and chironomids

1. Benthivorous fish may play an important role in internal nutrient loading. Ruffe are highly specialised, feeding exclusively on bottom animals; thus all nutrients released via their feeding are derived from the bottom and are new to the water column. The fish can also release nutrients from the sediment through resuspension while searching for food. 2. The aim of this study was to estimate experimentally in the laboratory the effect on water quality of resuspension and nutrient release by ruffe and bottom animals (chironomids). 3. Ruffe released nutrients during 8 h experiments as follows: total P 1.4, dissolved PO₄ 0.6, total N 24.0 and NH₄‐N 15.9 μg g^?1 WW h^?1. A decreasing trend in mass‐specific release was observed over time, probably because of starvation. The mass‐specific release of total N and NH₄‐N decreased as the mean weight of fish increased. The mean ratio of excreted N : P was 32. 4. In 26 h experiments with sediment and both ruffe and chironomids, ruffe increased nutrient concentrations and turbidity values significantly but chironomids had an effect only on turbidity. Neither ruffe nor chironomids affected the ratio of inorganic N : P concentrations. An interaction between ruffe and chironomids was found for turbidity. 5. According to these results, benthivorous fish may increase nutrient concentrations in the water column and need to be taken into account when estimating internal loading.     

Effects of added organic matter on iron and manganese redox systems in sediment

Addition of five types of organic matter to Lake Washington sediments resulted in release of high concentrations of iron, organic carbon, and manganese into the interstitial water, and caused an increase in observed sediment oxygen consumption rates. The depressed electrode potentials (E_h < —150 mV) that should accompany such reduction processes did not occur, indicating that E_h was being poised by redox systems present in the sediment. Iron redox systems [Fe(OH)₃‐Fe²⁺, Fe₃(OH)₈‐Fe²⁺, and Fe(OH)₃‐Fe₃(OH)₈] were shown to be poising the E_h of control sediments throughout 13 weeks of incubation and dominating the potential of several of the organically amended sediments following the first three weeks of incubation. Depression of calculated iron system E_o values relative to that of the control sediment early in the incubation appeared to be due to the decreased pH and non‐equilibrium conditions in the organic matter‐amended sediment during the first weeks of incubation. Manganese redox systems exerted no discernable impact on the E_h of the sediment.     

Genome Sequence of Galbibacter marinum Type Strain ck-I2-15

Galbibacter marinum strain ck-I2-15^T was isolated from an arsenite-resistant consortium enriched from the deep sea sediment of a hydrothermal vent field on the Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge. Here, we present the draft genome of strain ck-I2-15^T, which contains 3,572,447 bp with a G+C content of 37.04% and contains 3,099 protein-coding genes and 38 tRNA genes.     

Microdistribution of Faunal Assemblages at Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents in the Southern Ocean

Chemosynthetic primary production by microbes supports abundant faunal assemblages at deep-sea hydrothermal vents, with zonation of invertebrate species typically occurring along physico-chemical gradients. Recently discovered vent fields on the East Scotia Ridge (ESR) in the Southern Ocean represent a new province of vent biogeography, but the spatial dynamics of their distinct fauna have yet to be elucidated. This study determines patterns of faunal zonation, species associations, and relationships between faunal microdistribution and hydrothermal activity in a vent field at a depth of 2,400 m on the ESR. Remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dives obtained high-definition imagery of three chimney structures with varying levels of hydrothermal activity, and a mosaic image of >250 m² of seafloor co-registered with temperature measurements. Analysis of faunal microdistribution within the mosaiced seafloor reveals a consistent pattern of faunal zonation with increasing distance from vent sources and peak temperatures. Assemblages closest to vent sources are visibly dominated by a new species of anomuran crab, Kiwa n. sp. (abundance >700 individuals m⁻²), followed by a peltospiroid gastropod (>1,500 individuals m⁻²), eolepadid barnacle (>1,500 individuals m⁻²), and carnivorous actinostolid anemone (>30 individuals m⁻²). Peripheral fauna are not dominated by a single taxon, but include predatory and scavenger taxa such as stichasterid seastars, pycnogonids and octopus. Variation in faunal microdistribution on chimneys with differing levels of activity suggests a possible successional sequence for vent fauna in this new biogeographic province. An increase in δ³⁴S values of primary consumers with distance from vent sources, and variation in their δ¹³C values also indicate possible zonation of nutritional modes of the vent fauna. By using ROV videography to obtain a high-resolution representation of a vent environment over a greater extent than previous studies, these results provide a baseline for determining temporal change and investigations of processes structuring faunal assemblages at Southern Ocean vents.     

Potential rates of nitrification and denitrification in an oligotrophic freshwater sediment system

Potential rates of nitrification and denitrification were measured in an oligotrophic sediment system. Nitrification potential was estimated using the CO oxidation technique, and potential denitrification was measured by the acetylene blockage technique. The sediments demonstrated both nitrifying and denitrifying activity. E_h, O₂, and organic C profiles showed two distinct types of sediment. One type was low in organic C, had high O₂ and E_h, and had rates of denitrification 1,000 times lower than the other which had high organic C, low O₂, and low E_h. Potential nitrification and denitrification rates were negatively correlated with E_h. This suggests that environmental heterogeneity in denitrifier and nitrifier populations in oligotrophic sediment systems may be assessed using E_h before sampling protocols for nitrification or denitrification rates are established. There was no correlation between denitrification and nitrification rates or between either of these processes and NH₄ ⁺ or NO₃ ^– concentrations. The maximum rate of denitrification was 0.969 nmole N cm^–3 hour^–1, and the maximum rate of nitrification was 23.6 nmole cm^–3 hour^–1, suggesting nitrification does not limit denitrification in these oligotrophic sediments. Some sediment cores had mean concentrations of 6.0 mg O₂/liter and still showed both nitrification and denitrification activity.     

西北印度洋卡尔斯伯格脊卧蚕热液羽流影响区细菌群落结构特征及其演化

【目的】热液羽流影响区包括热液羽流流经区域和羽流中性浮力层下方受热液颗粒物影响的区域。随着热液羽流的演化,热液羽流影响区内微生物群落的结构组成也会发生相应的变化,但是,由于观测和取样困难等原因,迄今热液羽流影响区不同空间位置微生物的群落结构特征及其在月际尺度上的演化尚不清楚。【方法】中国大洋49航次在卧蚕1号热液喷口东南侧300 m处投放了沉积物捕获器锚系,在不同离底高度开展了为期18个月的观测和时序采水。本文采用Illumina MiSeq高通量测序技术对水样中的微生物类群进行测序分析,结合现场实时探测的浊度异常资料,研究卧蚕热液区附近中性浮力羽流和热液颗粒沉降区细菌群落结构的特征和演化及其影响因素。【结果】结果表明,样品中细菌群落以γ-变形菌纲(Gammaproteobacteria)、弯曲菌纲(Camplylobacteria)、α-变形菌纲(Alphaproteobacteria)、拟杆菌纲(Bacteroidia)、梭菌纲(Clostridia)和脱硫叶菌纲(Desulfobulbia)为主。在时间上,优势类群的相对丰度随浊度起伏发生变化,当浊度异常值升高时,弯曲菌纲相对丰度...     

Post-Drilling Changes in Seabed Landscape and Megabenthos in a Deep-Sea Hydrothermal System,the Iheya North Field,Okinawa Trough

There has been an increasing interest in seafloor exploitation such as mineral mining in deep-sea hydrothermal fields, but the environmental impact of anthropogenic disturbance to the seafloor is poorly known. In this study, the effect of such anthropogenic disturbance by scientific drilling operations (IODP Expedition 331) on seabed landscape and megafaunal habitation was surveyed for over 3 years using remotely operated vehicle video observation in a deep-sea hydrothermal field, the Iheya North field, in the Okinawa Trough. We focused on observations from a particular drilling site (Site C0014) where the most dynamic change of landscape and megafaunal habitation was observed among the drilling sites of IODP Exp. 331. No visible hydrothermal fluid discharge had been observed at the sedimentary seafloor at Site C0014, where Calyptogena clam colonies were known for more than 10 years, before the drilling event. After drilling commenced, the original Calyptogena colonies were completely buried by the drilling deposits. Several months after the drilling, diffusing high-temperature hydrothermal fluid began to discharge from the sedimentary subseafloor in the area of over 20 m from the drill holes, ‘artificially’ creating a new hydrothermal vent habitat. Widespread microbial mats developed on the seafloor with the diffusing hydrothermal fluids and the galatheid crab Shinkaia crosnieri endemic to vents dominated the new vent community. The previously soft, sedimentary seafloor was hardened probably due to barite/gypsum mineralization or silicification, becoming rough and undulated with many fissures after the drilling operation. Although the effects of the drilling operation on seabed landscape and megafaunal composition are probably confined to an area of maximally 30 m from the drill holes, the newly established hydrothermal vent ecosystem has already lasted 2 years and is like to continue to exist until the fluid discharge ceases and thus the ecosystem in the area has been altered for long-term.     

Archaeal Diversity and Distribution along Thermal and Geochemical Gradients in Hydrothermal Sediments at the Yonaguni Knoll IV Hydrothermal Field in the Southern Okinawa Trough

A variety of archaeal lineages have been identified using culture-independent molecular phylogenetic surveys of microbial habitats occurring in deep-sea hydrothermal environments such as chimney structures, sediments, vent emissions, and chemosynthetic macrofauna. With the exception of a few taxa, most of these archaea have not yet been cultivated, and their physiological and metabolic traits remain unclear. In this study, phylogenetic diversity and distribution profiles of the archaeal genes encoding small subunit (SSU) rRNA, methyl coenzyme A (CoA) reductase subunit A, and the ammonia monooxygenase large subunit were characterized in hydrothermally influenced sediments at the Yonaguni Knoll IV hydrothermal field in the Southern Okinawa Trough. Sediment cores were collected at distances of 0.5, 2, or 5 m from a vent emission (90°C). A moderate temperature gradient extends both horizontally and vertically (5 to 69°C), indicating the existence of moderate mixing between the hydrothermal fluid and the ambient sediment pore water. The mixing of reductive hot hydrothermal fluid and cold ambient sediment pore water establishes a wide spectrum of physical and chemical conditions in the microbial habitats that were investigated. Under these different physico-chemical conditions, variability in archaeal phylotype composition was observed. The relationship between the physical and chemical parameters and the archaeal phylotype composition provides important insight into the ecophysiological requirements of uncultivated archaeal lineages in deep-sea hydrothermal vent environments, giving clues for approximating culture conditions to be used in future culturing efforts.Deep-sea hydrothermal activity results in diverse physical and chemical environments for the resident microbial communities. Using cultivation techniques and culture-independent molecular analyses, diverse lineages of archaea and bacteria have so far been observed from chimney structures, retrieved in situ colonization systems settled in or on the hydrothermal conduit, microbial mats, sediments, and chemosynthetic macrofaunal bodies (19, 35, 62). Especially in the domain Archaea, most of lineages derived from hydrothermal environments have not yet been cultivated, and little is known about their physiological and metabolic traits.Environmental conditions of the habitat for a particular uncultivated archaeal lineage permit us to speculate about the physiological and metabolic traits of the archaea. For instance, the acidophilic and thermophilic archaeon “Aciduliprofundum boonei,” representing the previously uncultivated deep-sea hydrothermal vent euryarchaeotic group I (DHVEG I) subgroup 2 (DHVE2), has been isolated from a chimney habitat in the Lau Basin (49). In fact, before the cultivation of A. boonei, the DHVE2 was assumed to consist of thermophilic and acidophilic heterotrophs because their habitats had similar characteristics (13, 48, 60, 68). In order to elucidate the distribution patterns of the functionally unknown microbial components in response to the dynamically varying physico-chemical conditions, hydrothermally influenced sediments are considered better study targets than hot vent chimney structures to determine the eco-physiological roles of uncultivated microbes. This is because, unlike vent chimneys, sedimentary habitats affected by subseafloor hydrothermal fluid are expected to have more moderate physico-chemical gradients from mixing of hydrothermal fluid and ambient seawater due to the relatively lower heat convection and hydrothermal fluid penetration. Several studies have already examined the phylogenetic diversity of archaea and bacteria in hydrothermal sediments from the Guaymas Basin (7, 66), the Rainbow vent field in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (39), and the Iheya Ridge and the Yonaguni Knoll IV in the Okinawa Trough (14, 57). However, only the relationship between the distribution pattern of microbial components and the physico-chemical conditions of these environments has been addressed.The Yonaguni Knoll IV hydrothermal field located at the southern end of the Okinawa Trough is characterized as having thick sediment, several Cl-enriched black smoker sites, and numerous vapor-enriched clear fluid sites (25, 56). The geochemical characterization of these hydrothermal fluids revealed that hydrothermal fluids undergo phase separation under the seafloor (25, 56). Furthermore, the emission of liquid CO₂ droplets has been reported, and occurrence of subseafloor CO₂ hydrate is assumed to have arisen in response to pore water chemistry in the sediments at liquid CO₂ emission sites (14, 25). According to pore water chemistry, it seems likely that these vapor-enriched hydrothermal fluids permeate the sediments around hydrothermal vent sites, and the subseafloor formation-dissociation processes of gas hydrates produce a variety of hydrothermally affected sedimentary habitats (25).In this study, we focused on the “abyss vent” site, which is characterized by 90°C hydrothermal emissions that discharge directly from the seafloor sediments (56). Sediment cores (>25 cm in length) were taken at horizontal distances of 0.5, 2, and 5 m from the hydrothermal emission while the in situ temperature of sediments was measured simultaneously. Vent fluids and interstitial water chemistry of the sediments were characterized along vertical and horizontal gradients of subseafloor mixing zones. Microbial distributions, particularly of archaea, were ascertained by culture-independent molecular analyses targeting the small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene and, mcrA (gene for methyl coenzyme A [CoA] reductase subunit A) and archaeal amoA (gene for ammonia monooxygenase large subunit). Molecular analyses for the functional genes, mcrA and amoA, are expected to indicate diversity and abundance of methanogens, anaerobic methanotrophs, and archaeal ammonium oxidizers that utilize hydrogen, methane, and ammonium, respectively, in hydrothermal fluids as electron donors. In addition, we inferred the phylogenetic diversity and distribution patterns of the bacterial SSU rRNA genes that provide insight into the potential metabolic characteristics and microbial ecosystems in each habitat.     

Phytoplankton biomass and production during late austral spring (1991) and summer (1993) in the Bransfield Strait

Phytoplankton biomass and productivity were measured during two cruises in the Bransfield Strait in December 1991 (D91) and January/February 1993 (J93). Strong seasonal variability in productivity values was observed due to differences in the physiological response of phytoplankton. However, although the photosynthetic capacity of phytoplankton was markedly lower in D91 [P _m ^B =0.61 ± 0.25 mg C (mg Chla)⁻¹ h⁻¹] than in J93 [P _m ^B =2.18 ± 0.91 mg C (mg Chla)⁻¹ h⁻¹], average water column chlorophyll values in different areas of the strait were approximately similar in D91 (49–78 mg Chla m⁻²) and J93 (22–76 mg Chla m⁻²). The spatial distribution of chlorophyll was patchy and generally associated with the influence of the different water masses that meet together in the Bransfield Strait. No correlation was found between the mixed layer depth and either the integrated chlorophyll or the productivity. Our results suggest that major phytoplankton blooms in the Bransfield Strait are advected from the nearby Gerlache Strait or Bellingshausen Sea following the main eastward surface currents. Accepted: 5 July 1998     

Sediment microstructure and resuspension behavior depend on each other

The critical shear stress of resuspension and rates of erosion for cohesive and loosely structured sediments must be obtained by direct measurements since there is no theoretical calculation. An in situ experiment on sediment resuspension was performed in a shallow lake (Langer See, NE Germany; area = 1.27 km², z_max = 3.8 m) in summer 2006 using a hydrodynamically calibrated erosion chamber (Ø 20 cm). Shear velocity (u*) was incrementally increased in 11 steps (0–2.19 cm s^?1) to initiate resuspension events. Entrainment rates (E) of suspended particulate matter (E_SPM), total P (E_TP), chlorophyll a (E_Chl a), and soluble reactive P (E_SRP) were determined by mass balance. Two subsequent critical u* (0.53 cm s^?1 and 1.48 cm s^?1) support the ‘two-layered bed’ model of a fluffy surface aggregate layer (freshly deposited phytodetritus prone to resuspension) and an underlying more consolidated biostabilised layer. Patterns in E_SPM (2–106 g m^?2 h^?1), E_TP (11–532 mg m^?2 h^?1), and E_Chl a (3–24 μg m^?2 h^?1) revealed a sediment surface maximum of TP and Chl a and their theoretical vertical logarithmic decrease within 4 mm sediment depth, the maximum thickness of sediment layer entrained. The advective E_SRP flux (17 mg m^?2 h^?1) was 43 times higher than the diffusive SRP flux (0.4 mg m^?2 h^?1). The TP and Chl a micro-profiles suggest that cohesive sediment bed formation is a function of both settling (fluff) and consolidation (biostabilisation). Thus, sediment microstructure and resuspension behavior depend on each other.     

Radiolarian flux in Antarctic waters (Drake Passage,Powell Basin,Bransfield Strait)

Summary The study of radiolarians collected during sediment trap experiments in the Drake Passage, the northern Powell Basin, and the King George Basin of the Bransfield Strait provides new information on the fluxes of radiolarian shells in Antarctic waters, on the annual flux pattern, the species distribution and its ecological significance, and on alteration processes of the radiolarian shells in the water column and at the sediment/water interface. A 28-month monitoring with time-series sediment traps in the Bransfield Strait indicates an annual flux pattern characterized by short-term flux pulses during austral summer, which reach daily fluxes of up to 5 × 10³ shells m^–2 and which account for more than 90% of the total annual flux. The distinct seasonal variations are linked to variations in the sea ice coverage. Other controlling factors are the production of phytoplankton and the impact by zooplankton grazers, e.g., krill. During the summer flux pulses the vertical fluxes of radiolarians range between ca. 3 and 21 × 10⁴ shells m^–2, values that are one or more orders of magnitudes lower than fluxes observed at sites in the tropical and northern high-latitude ocean. Significant lateral transport of radiolarians was documented during the austral summer in the Bransfield Strait by a factor of 10 increase of the radiolarian flux in the lower portion of the water column and the species composition trapped in deeper waters. Radiolarian assemblages associated with pelagic and neritic environments characterized by typical Antarctic taxa (Antarctissa spp.) and a group of species with bipolar distribution (e.g. Plectacantha oikiskos, Phormacantha hystrix), respectively, are distinguished. While the signal of polycystine radiolarians is relatively well recorded in the sediments, the shells of phaeodarians, which were observed at fluxes of up to 1 × 10³ shells m^–2day^–1 in the upper portion of the water column, are almost completely dissolved during settling through the water column.     

Comparative metagenomics reveals insights into the deep-sea adaptation mechanism of the microorganisms in Iheya hydrothermal fields

In this study, comparative metagenomic analysis was performed to investigate the genetic profiles of the microbial communities inhabiting the sediments surrounding Iheya North and Iheya Ridge hydrothermal fields. Four samples were used, which differed in their distances from hydrothermal vents. The results showed that genes involved in cell surface structure synthesis, polyamine metabolism and homeostasis, osmoadaptation, pH and Na⁺ homeostasis, and heavy-metal transport were abundant. Pathways for putrescine and spermidine synthesis and transport were identified in the four metagenomes, which possibly participate in the regulation of cytoplasmic pH. Genes involved in the transport of K⁺ and the biosynthesis of glycine betaine, proline, and trehalose, together with genes encoding mechanosensitive channel of small conductance, were contributors of osmoadaptation. Detection of genes encoding F₁F_o-ATPase and cation/proton antiporters indicated critical roles played by pH and sodium homeostasis. Cu²⁺-exporting and Cd²⁺/Zn²⁺-exporting ATPases functioned in the expulsion of toxic metals across cellular membranes. It is noteworthy that the distribution of some genes, such as that encoding cardiolipin synthase, was apparently affected by distance to the vent site. These findings provide insight into microbial adaptation mechanisms in deep-sea sediment environments.     

Environmental factors regulating the radial oxygen loss from roots of Myriophyllum spicatum and Potamogeton crispus

Myriophyllum spicatum and Potamogeton crispus are common species of shallow eutrophic lakes in north-eastern Germany, where a slow recovery of the submersed aquatic vegetation was observed. Thus, the characterisation of the root oxygen release (ROL) as well as its implication for geochemical processes in the sediment are of particular interest. A combination of microelectrode measurements, methylene blue agar and a titanium(III) redox buffer was used to investigate the influence of the oxygen content in the water column on ROL, diel ROL dynamics as well as the impact of sediment milieu. Oxygen gradients around the roots revealed a maximum oxygen diffusion zone of up to 250 μm. During a sequence with a light/dark cycle as well as alternating aeration of the water column, maximum ROL with up to 35% oxygen saturation at the root surface occurred under light/O₂-saturated conditions. A decrease to about 30% was observed under dark/O₂-saturated conditions, no ROL was detected at dark/O₂-depleted conditions and only a weak ROL with 5–10% oxygen saturation at the root surface was measured under light but O₂-depleted water column. These results indicate, that during darkness, ROL is supplied by oxygen from the water column and even during illumination and active photosynthesis production, ROL is modified by the oxygen content in the water column. Visualisation of ROL patterns revealed an enhanced ROL for plants which were grown in sulfidic littoral sediment in comparison to plants grown in pure quartz sand. For both plant species grown in sulfidic littoral sediment, a ROL rate of 3–4 μmol O₂ h⁻¹ plant⁻¹ was determined with the Ti(III) redox buffer. For plants grown in pure quartz sand, the ROL rate decreased to 1–2 μmol O₂ h⁻¹ plant⁻¹. Hence, aside from the oxygen content in the water column, the redox conditions and microbial oxygen demand in the sediment has to be considered as a further major determinant of ROL.     

Incidence of novel and potentially archaeal nitrogenase genes in the deep Northeast Pacific Ocean

Archaea have been detected throughout the oceanic water column and are quantitatively important members of picoplankton in the deep ocean. Two common groups, group I Crenarchaeota and group II Euryarchaeota, are consistently detected in warm hydrothermal fluid and are assumed to have been drawn into the subseafloor, mixed with hydrothermal fluid and then expelled. However, because they remain resistant to cultivation, very little is known about their physiology. Here we show that cold deep-seawater from the axial valley of Endeavour Segment on the Juan de Fuca Ridge contains not only groups I and II archaea as expected, but also unique potentially archaeal nitrogenase (nifH) genes, which are required for nitrogen fixation. These nifH genes are phylogenetically distinct and have dissimilar G+C content compared with those of hydrothermal vent archaea, suggesting that they belong to non-thermophilic deep-sea archaea. Furthermore, this sample did not contain mcrA genes, which are present in methanogens, the only known archaeal nitrogen fixers. These nifH genes were not detected in upper water column samples, or in a deep-seawater sample 100 km away from the spreading axis of the Juan de Fuca Ridge. We propose that these unique nifH genes may be localized to archaea that circulate through the nitrogen-poor subseafloor at the mid-ocean ridge as part of their life cycle.     

Culture-Dependent and -Independent Characterization of Microbial Communities Associated with a Shallow Submarine Hydrothermal System Occurring within a Coral Reef off Taketomi Island, Japan

Microbial communities in a shallow submarine hydrothermal system near Taketomi Island, Japan, were investigated using cultivation-based and molecular techniques. The main hydrothermal activity occurred in a craterlike basin (depth, ~23 m) on the coral reef seafloor. The vent fluid (maximum temperature, >52°C) contained 175 μM H₂S and gas bubbles mainly composed of CH₄ (69%) and N₂ (29%). A liquid serial dilution cultivation technique targeting a variety of metabolism types quantified each population in the vent fluid and in a white microbial mat located near the vent. The most abundant microorganisms cultivated from both the fluid and the mat were autotrophic sulfur oxidizers, including mesophilic Thiomicrospira spp. and thermophilic Sulfurivirga caldicuralii. Methane oxidizers were the second most abundant organisms in the fluid; one novel type I methanotroph exhibited optimum growth at 37°C, and another novel type I methanotroph exhibited optimum growth at 45°C. The number of hydrogen oxidizers cultivated only from the mat was less than the number of sulfur and methane oxidizers, although a novel mesophilic hydrogen-oxidizing member of the Epsilonproteobacteria was isolated. Various mesophilic to hyperthermophilic heterotrophs, including sulfate-reducing Desulfovibrio spp., iron-reducing Deferribacter sp., and sulfur-reducing Thermococcus spp., were also cultivated. Culture-independent 16S rRNA gene clone analysis of the vent fluid and mat revealed highly diverse archaeal communities. In the bacterial community, S. caldicuralii was identified as the predominant phylotype in the fluid (clonal frequency, 25%). Both bacterial clone libraries indicated that there were bacterial communities involved in sulfur, hydrogen, and methane oxidation and sulfate reduction. Our results indicate that there are unique microbial communities that are sustained by active chemosynthetic primary production rather than by photosynthetic production in a shallow hydrothermal system where sunlight is abundant.     

Metabolic activity on Biolog FF MicroPlate suggests organic substrate decomposition by Aspergillus terreus NTOU4989 isolated from Kueishan Island Hydrothermal Vent Field,Taiwan

Aspergillus terreus NTOU4989 was isolated from sulfur sediment collected at Kueishan Island Hydrothermal Vent Field, Taiwan, and was shown to be able to grow at 45 °C and pH 3 in seawater, characteristics of hydrothermal vent sites. Fungi are one of the major decomposers in the marine environment, and to find out whether A. terreus NTOU4989 can fulfill such a role at the site, this study investigated its metabolic activity using the Biolog FF MicroPlate™ under different growth conditions (45 °C/pH 3, 45 °C/pH 7, 25 °C/pH 3, 25 °C/pH 7) with/without addition of Al³⁺, Fe²⁺ and Mn²⁺, major metal ions in the vent effluent. The greatest metabolic activity was observed at 25 °C/pH 3 with/without the metal ions based on substrate richness (R_S, metabolic richness), average well colour development (AWCD, metabolic capacity) and average well turbidity development (AWTD, mycelial production). Significant low R_S, AWCD and AWTD were observed at 45 °C, suggesting that A. terreus NTOU4989 is a thermotolerant fungus. The presence of the metal ions did not have a significant effect on its metabolic activity. Monomers of lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose, and common sugars and amino acids of algae were utilized in selected conditions, providing evidence of wood and algal decomposition by the fungus at the hydrothermal vent site.     

Phylogenetic Diversity of Nitrogenase (nifH) Genes in Deep-Sea and Hydrothermal Vent Environments of the Juan de Fuca Ridge

The subseafloor microbial habitat associated with typical unsedimented mid-ocean-ridge hydrothermal vent ecosystems may be limited by the availability of fixed nitrogen, inferred by the low ammonium and nitrate concentrations measured in diffuse hydrothermal fluid. Dissolved N₂ gas, the largest reservoir of nitrogen in the ocean, is abundant in deep-sea and hydrothermal vent fluid. In order to test the hypothesis that biological nitrogen fixation plays an important role in nitrogen cycling in the subseafloor associated with unsedimented hydrothermal vents, degenerate PCR primers were designed to amplify the nitrogenase iron protein gene nifH from hydrothermal vent fluid. A total of 120 nifH sequences were obtained from four samples: a nitrogen-poor diffuse vent named marker 33 on Axial Volcano, sampled twice over a period of 1 year as its temperature decreased; a nitrogen-rich diffuse vent near Puffer on Endeavour Segment; and deep seawater with no detectable hydrothermal plume signal. Subseafloor nifH genes from marker 33 and Puffer are related to anaerobic clostridia and sulfate reducers. Other nifH genes unique to the vent samples include proteobacteria and divergent Archaea. All of the nifH genes from the deep-seawater sample are most closely related to the thermophilic, anaerobic archaeon Methanococcus thermolithotrophicus (77 to 83% amino acid similarity). These results provide the first genetic evidence of potential nitrogen fixers in hydrothermal vent environments and indicate that at least two sources contribute to the diverse assemblage of nifH genes detected in hydrothermal vent fluid: nifH genes from an anaerobic, hot subseafloor and nifH genes from cold, oxygenated deep seawater.     

西北印度洋卡尔斯伯格脊卧蚕热液羽流影响区古菌群落动态变化特征

【目的】热液羽流在浮力上升和非浮力侧向迁移过程中与背景海水不断进行物质和能量的交换。因海底热液活动和洋流的流速流向均存在动态变化性,热液羽流的高度、物理化学参数和微生物群落也随时空发生演化。然而,由于缺乏热液羽流的长期监测和时序取样,微生物群落(尤其是古菌)的多样性及其时空演化尚不清楚。【方法】2018年7月-2019年6月,在卧蚕1号热液喷口东南300 m处放置了一套带有2个沉积物捕获器(分别距海底300 m和40 m)和一个浊度仪(距海底150 m)的锚系潜标,对热液羽流和热液羽流下方颗粒物沉降区的近底水样进行了为期18个月的观测和时序采样。本研究采用16S rRNA基因高通量测序技术研究了水样中古菌群落的多样性,以了解羽流层和近底沉降层古菌群落结构的特征与时空演化。【结果】热原体纲(Thermoplasmata)、甲烷八叠球菌纲(Methanosarcinia)和甲烷杆菌纲(Methanobacteria)等热液来源古菌,当浊度异常值较高时,它们的丰度也增加。从空间上看,热液羽流区和近底沉降区古菌群落结构在门和纲水平上具有相似性,但在目水平上表现出差异性,而且各主要类群的相对丰度也存在差异,其中热原体纲在羽流层中的丰度普遍高于近底沉降层,而氨氧化古菌和甲烷八叠球菌纲在沉降层的丰度较高。【结论】卧蚕热液区东南300 m热液羽流层和近底沉降层均受到了热液的影响,羽流层受热液影响的程度相对更显著,而近底沉降层除了受到一定程度的热液影响外,还可能受到了再悬浮沉积物的影响。热液贡献大小的动态变化和底层沉积物再悬浮可能是造成热液区近端水体古菌群落时空异质性的主要因素。本研究深化了对热液影响区古生菌群落结构及其月际尺度时空分布特征的认识。     

Diffusive exchange of linear alkylbenze suifonates (LAS) between overlying water and bottom sediment

Linear alkylbenzenesulfonate (LAS) was detected in a 0–30 cm deep sediment column collected in Lake Teganuma (one of the most polluted lakes in Japan). The range of the LAS concentration in sediments was between 0.1 and 500 µg g^–1 (C₁₁-C₁₄ homologs per dry solid) and its vertical profile showed a seasonal variation. A mathematical model, which includes a diffusion term and a biodegradation term, was used to simulate the temporal variation of LAS in the sediment column and to calculate the diffusive flux rate of LAS across the sediment/water interface. An averaged diffusion coefficient of 2.4 × 10^–5 cm² s^–1 for the sediment interstitial water was obtained from sediment core samples located in Lake Teganuma. The biodegradation rate constant (0.002 d^–1) of LAS in the sediment obtained from the model analysis was considerably less than that reported for LAS in anaerobic waters. These results confirm that a model describing diffusive transport and biodegradation of LAS in the sediments can simulate the temporal variation of LAS in near surface sediments. The diffusive flux rate from overlying water to bottom sediment was calculated to be between –0.20 and 0.52 (C₁₁-C₁₄ LAS) mg m^–2 h^–1 and the annual net flux rate was 0.7 g m^–2 y^–1.