scholarly journals Metabolite composition of sinking particles reflects a changing microbial community and differential metabolite degradation

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Winifred M. Johnson ◽  
Krista Longnecker ◽  
Melissa C. Kido Soule ◽  
William A. Arnold ◽  
Maya P. Bhatia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Community ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Euphotic Zone ◽  
Suspended Particles ◽  
Equatorial Atlantic ◽  
Surface Ocean ◽  
Sinking Particles ◽  
Compositional Changes ◽  
Amazon River Plume ◽  
Small Biomolecules

AbstractMarine sinking particles transport carbon from the surface and bury it in deep sea sediments where it can be sequestered on geologic time scales. The combination of the surface ocean food web that produces these particles and the particle-associated microbial community that degrades these particles, creates a complex set of variables that control organic matter cycling. We use targeted metabolomics to characterize a suite of small biomolecules, or metabolites, in sinking particles and compare their metabolite composition to that of the suspended particles in the euphotic zone from which they are likely derived. These samples were collected in the South Atlantic subtropical gyre, as well as in the equatorial Atlantic region and the Amazon River plume. The composition of targeted metabolites in the sinking particles was relatively similar throughout the transect, despite the distinct oceanic regions in which they were generated. Metabolites possibly derived from the degradation of nucleic acids and lipids, such as xanthine and glycine betaine, were an increased mole fraction of the targeted metabolites in the sinking particles relative to surface suspended particles, while algal-derived metabolites like the osmolyte dimethylsulfoniopropionate were a smaller fraction of the observed metabolites on the sinking particles. These compositional changes are shaped both by the removal of metabolites associated with detritus delivered from the surface ocean and by production of metabolites by the sinking particle-associated microbial communities. Further, they provide a basis for examining the types and quantities of metabolites that may be delivered to the deep sea by sinking particles.

scholarly journals Microbial community characterization of the Gully: a marine protected area

2010 ◽  
Vol 56 (5) ◽  
pp. 421-431 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. William Yeung ◽  
Kenneth Lee ◽  
Lyle G. Whyte ◽  
Charles W. Greer
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Microbial Community ◽  
Microbial Community Structure ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Euphotic Zone ◽  
Deep Sea Water

The Gully is the first Fisheries and Oceans Canada marine protected area off the eastern coast of Canada. To ensure success of conservation efforts in this area, it is essential to develop a better understanding of microbial community composition from the euphotic zone to the deep sea in this previously unsurveyed environment. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and nucleotide sequencing were used to characterize microbial community structure. DGGE results showed a clear difference in the microbial community structure between the euphotic zone and the deep sea water. Cluster analysis showed high similarity (>85%) for all the samples taken from below 500 m, but lower similarity (49%–72%) when comparing samples from above and below 500 m. Changes in microbial community structure with depth corresponded well with changes in oceanographic physical parameters. Furthermore, 16S rRNA gene analysis showed that the bacterioplankton sequences generally clustered into 1 of 9 major lineages commonly found in marine systems. However, not all the major lineages were detected at all the different depths. The SAR11 and SAR116 sequences were only present in the surface water, and the SAR324 and Actinobacteria sequences were only present in deep sea water. These findings provide a preliminary characterization of the microbial communities of this unique ecosystem.

Assessing the Global Meltwater Spike

1982 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 148-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Glenn A. Jones ◽  
William F. Ruddiman
Keyword(s):  
Deep Sea ◽  
Planktonic Foraminifera ◽  
World Ocean ◽  
Equatorial Atlantic ◽  
Low Salinity ◽  
Ice Volume ◽  
Middle Latitudes ◽  
Mixing Intensity ◽  
Entire World ◽  
Isotopic Signal

AbstractL. V. Worthington (1968, Meteorological Monographs 8, 63–67) hypothesized that a low-salinity lid covered the entire world ocean. By deconvolving isotopic curves from the western equatorial Pacific and equatorial Atlantic, W. H. Berger, R. F. Johnson, and J. S. Killingley (1977), Nature (London) 269, 661–663) and W. H. Berger (1978, Deep-Sea Research 25, 473–480) reconstructed “meltwater spikes” similar to those actually observed in the Gulf of Mexico and thus apparently confirmed the Worthington hypothesis. It is shown that this conclusion is unwarranted. The primary flaw in the reconstructed meltwater spikes is that the mixing intensity used in the deconvolution operation is overestimated. As a result, structure recorded in the mixed isotopic record becomes exaggerated in the attempt to restore the original unmixed record. This structure can be attributed to variable ice-volume decay during deglaciation, effects of differential solution on planktonic foraminifera, temporal changes in abundance of the foraminifera carrying the isotopic signal, and analytical error. An alternative geographic view to the global low-salinity lid is offered: a map showing portions of the ocean potentially affected by increased deglacial meltwater at middle and high latitudes and by increased precipitation-induced runoff at low and middle latitudes.

scholarly journals Concentrations, ratios, and sinking fluxes of major bioelements at Ocean Station Papa

Elem Sci Anth ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Montserrat Roca-Martí ◽  
Claudia R. Benitez-Nelson ◽  
Blaire P. Umhau ◽  
Abigale M. Wyatt ◽  
Samantha J. Clevenger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soft Tissue ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Euphotic Zone ◽  
Particulate Phosphorus ◽  
Particulate Nitrogen ◽  
Sinking Particles ◽  
Ocean Station Papa ◽  
Particle Size Classes

Fluxes of major bioelements associated with sinking particles were quantified in late summer 2018 as part of the EXport Processes in the Ocean from RemoTe Sensing (EXPORTS) field campaign near Ocean Station Papa in the subarctic northeast Pacific. The thorium-234 method was used in conjunction with size-fractionated (1–5, 5–51, and >51 μm) concentrations of particulate nitrogen (PN), total particulate phosphorus (TPP), biogenic silica (bSi), and particulate inorganic carbon (PIC) collected using large volume filtration via in situ pumps. We build upon recent work quantifying POC fluxes during EXPORTS. Similar remineralization length scales were observed for both POC and PN across all particle size classes from depths of 50–500 m. Unlike bSi and PIC, the soft tissue–associated POC, PN, and TPP fluxes strongly attenuated from 50 m to the base of the euphotic zone (approximately 120 m). Cruise-average thorium-234-derived fluxes (mmol m–2 d–1) at 120 m were 1.7 ± 0.6 for POC, 0.22 ± 0.07 for PN, 0.019 ± 0.007 for TPP, 0.69 ± 0.26 for bSi, and 0.055 ± 0.022 for PIC. These bioelement fluxes were similar to previous observations at this site, with the exception of PIC, which was 1 to 2 orders of magnitude lower. Transfer efficiencies within the upper twilight zone (flux 220 m/flux 120 m) were highest for PIC (84%) and bSi (79%), followed by POC (61%), PN (58%), and TPP (49%). These differences indicate preferential remineralization of TPP relative to POC or PN and larger losses of soft tissue relative to biominerals in sinking particles below the euphotic zone. Comprehensive characterization of the particulate bioelement fluxes obtained here will support future efforts linking phytoplankton community composition and food-web dynamics to the composition, magnitude, and attenuation of material that sinks to deeper waters.

Substantial accumulation of mercury in the deepest parts of the ocean and implications for the environmental mercury cycle

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (51) ◽  
pp. e2102629118
Author(s):  
Maodian Liu ◽  
Wenjie Xiao ◽  
Qianru Zhang ◽  
Shengliu Yuan ◽  
Peter A. Raymond ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Food Webs ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Sediment Cores ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
Biogeochemical Cycle ◽  
Vertical Profiles ◽  
Surface Ocean ◽  
Increasing Trends

Anthropogenic activities have led to widespread contamination with mercury (Hg), a potent neurotoxin that bioaccumulates through food webs. Recent models estimated that, presently, 200 to 600 t of Hg is sequestered annually in deep-sea sediments, approximately doubling since industrialization. However, most studies did not extend to the hadal zone (6,000- to 11,000-m depth), the deepest ocean realm. Here, we report on measurements of Hg and related parameters in sediment cores from four trench regions (1,560 to 10,840 m), showing that the world’s deepest ocean realm is accumulating Hg at remarkably high rates (depth-integrated minimum–maximum: 24 to 220 μg ⋅ m−2 ⋅ y−1) greater than the global deep-sea average by a factor of up to 400, with most Hg in these trenches being derived from the surface ocean. Furthermore, vertical profiles of Hg concentrations in trench cores show notable increasing trends from pre-1900 [average 51 ± 14 (1σ) ng ⋅ g−1] to post-1950 (81 ± 32 ng ⋅ g−1). This increase cannot be explained by changes in the delivery rate of organic carbon alone but also need increasing Hg delivery from anthropogenic sources. This evidence, along with recent findings on the high abundance of methylmercury in hadal biota [R. Sun et al., Nat. Commun. 11, 3389 (2020); J. D. Blum et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 117, 29292–29298 (2020)], leads us to propose that hadal trenches are a large marine sink for Hg and may play an important role in the regulation of the global biogeochemical cycle of Hg.

Depth Profiling Investigation of Seawater Using Combined Multi-Optical Spectrometry

2020 ◽  
Vol 74 (5) ◽  
pp. 563-570 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wangquan Ye ◽  
Jinjia Guo ◽  
Nan Li ◽  
Fujun Qi ◽  
Kai Cheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Deep Sea ◽  
Depth Profiling ◽  
Deep Ocean ◽  
Euphotic Zone ◽  
Depth Resolution ◽  
Remotely Operated Vehicle ◽  
Sea Trial ◽  
Depth Profiles ◽  
Diving Depth ◽  
Optical Spectrometry

Depth profiling investigation plays an important role in studying the dynamic processes of the ocean. In this paper, a newly developed hyphenated underwater system based on multi-optical spectrometry is introduced and used to measure seawater spectra at different depths with the aid of a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). The hyphenated system consists of two independent compact deep-sea spectral instruments, a deep ocean compact autonomous Raman spectrometer and a compact underwater laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy system for sea applications (LIBSea). The former was used to take both Raman scattering and fluorescence of seawater, and the LIBS signal could be recorded with the LIBSea. The first sea trial of the developed system was taken place in the Bismarck Sea, Papua New Guinea, in June 2015. Over 4000 multi-optical spectra had been captured up to the diving depth about 1800 m at maximum. The depth profiles of some ocean parameters were extracted from the captured joint Raman–fluorescence and LIBS spectra with a depth resolution of 1 m. The concentrations of [Formula: see text] and the water temperatures were measured using Raman spectra. The fluorescence intensities from both colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) and chlorophyll were found to be varied in the euphotic zone. With LIBS spectra, the depth profiles of metallic elements were also obtained. The normalized intensity of atomic line Ca(I) extracted from LIBS spectra raised around the depth of 1600 m, similar to the depth profile of CDOM. This phenomenon might be caused by the nonbuoyant hydrothermal plumes. It is worth mentioning that this is the first time Raman and LIBS spectroscopy have been applied simultaneously to the deep-sea in situ investigations.

scholarly journals Comparative Metagenomic Analysis of a Microbial Community Residing at a Depth of 4,000 Meters at Station ALOHA in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre

2009 ◽  
Vol 75 (16) ◽  
pp. 5345-5355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantinos T. Konstantinidis ◽  
Jennifer Braff ◽  
David M. Karl ◽  
Edward F. DeLong
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Community ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Deep Biosphere ◽  
North Pacific Subtropical Gyre ◽  
Selfish Genetic Elements ◽  
The North ◽  
Metabolic Versatility ◽  
Station Aloha

ABSTRACT The deep sea (water depth of >2,000 m) represents the largest biome on Earth. Yet relatively little is known about its microbial community's structure, function, and adaptation to the cold and deep biosphere. To provide further genomic insights into deep-sea planktonic microbes, we sequenced a total of ∼200 Mbp of a random whole-genome shotgun (WGS) library from a microbial community residing at a depth of 4,000 m at Station ALOHA in the Pacific Ocean and compared it to other available WGS sequence data from surface and deep waters. Our analyses indicated that the deep-sea lifestyle is likely facilitated by a collection of very subtle adaptations, as opposed to dramatic alterations of gene content or structure. These adaptations appear to include higher metabolic versatility and genomic plasticity to cope with the sparse and sporadic energy resources available, a preference for hydrophobic and smaller-volume amino acids in protein sequences, unique proteins not found in surface-dwelling species, and adaptations at the gene expression level. The deep-sea community is also characterized by a larger average genome size and a higher content of “selfish” genetic elements, such as transposases and prophages, whose propagation is apparently favored by more relaxed purifying (negative) selection in deeper waters.

Discovery of radiocesium-bearing microparticles from ocean samples emitted from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hikaru Miura ◽  
Takashi Ishimaru ◽  
Yukari Ito ◽  
Jota Kanda ◽  
Atsushi Kubo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Coastal Area ◽  
Hot Spots ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Particle Diameter ◽  
Suspended Particles ◽  
Marine Samples ◽  
Sinking Particles ◽  
Fukushima Daiichi

<p>Introduction: A large amount of radioactive Cs was emitted into the environment by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident. Adachi et al. (2013) first reported radiocesium-bearing microparticles (CsMPs) from aerosol filters. Subsequent researches showed that the CsMP is SiO<sub>2</sub> glass with Cs, Cl, K, Fe, and Zn mainly contained in the particle. Diameter of CsMP is ~1-10 μm and <sup>137</sup>Cs radioactivity is ~0.5 to 10<sup>2</sup> Bq. It has been suggested that the CsMP was mainly emitted from Unit 2 or Unit 3 of FDNPP based on the <sup>134</sup>Cs/<sup>137</sup>Cs activity ratio in the samples. Miura et al. (2018) reported CsMPs from the suspended particles in river water and their effect on K<sub>d</sub> value, which suggested CsMPs may exist in the ocean transported through rivers. Kubo et al. (2018) and Ikenoue et al. (2018) reported hot spots in the ocean samples by autoradiography but they did not separate CsMPs from these spots. In this presentation, we first report CsMPs separated from marine suspended particles, sinking particles, and sediments in coastal area of Fukushima and compare them with CsMPs from the terrestrial samples.</p><p>Method: We collected suspended particles (2011, 2013, 2015), sinking particles (2014), sediment cores (2011) from coastal area of Fukushima. By a wet separation method (Miura et al., 2018), we separated CsMPs from these samples. After measurement of radioactivity with a high-purity germanium semiconductor detector, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analyses were performed for separated CsMPs. Using autoradiography, we calculated <sup>137</sup>Cs activity of unseparated hot spots over 0.1 Bq, which may be CsMPs.</p><p>Results and discussion: We separated 5 CsMPs from marine samples. The results of SEM-EDS analyses showed that these CsMPs have almost similar characteristics to the reported CsMPs because they mainly consist of Si, Cs, Fe, and Zn.  Their <sup>134</sup>Cs/<sup>137</sup>Cs showed that the CsMPs were from Unit 2 or 3 of FDNPP. <sup>137</sup>Cs radioactivity per volume is also similar to reported CsMPs from Unit 2 or 3. In this presentation, we will show the effect of CsMPs on K<sub>d</sub> values. CsMPs in the ocean samples will make apparent K<sub>d</sub> values be higher than intrinsic K<sub>d</sub> values related to the adsorption-desorption reaction to the clay minerals, which may explain the large variation of Cs concentration in marine samples.</p>

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