scholarly journals Microbial Communities Involved in Methane, Sulfur, and Nitrogen Cycling in the Sediments of the Barents Sea

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 2362
Author(s):  
Shahjahon Begmatov ◽  
Alexander S. Savvichev ◽  
Vitaly V. Kadnikov ◽  
Alexey V. Beletsky ◽  
Igor I. Rusanov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Cycling ◽  
Methane Oxidation ◽  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Surface Sediments ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
Sulfur Cycle ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Anaerobic Oxidation Of Methane ◽  
Oxidation Of Methane ◽  
The Barents Sea

A combination of physicochemical and radiotracer analysis, high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA, and particulate methane monooxygenase subunit A (pmoA) genes was used to link a microbial community profile with methane, sulfur, and nitrogen cycling processes. The objects of study were surface sediments sampled at five stations in the northern part of the Barents Sea. The methane content in the upper layers (0–5 cm) ranged from 0.2 to 2.4 µM and increased with depth (16–19 cm) to 9.5 µM. The rate of methane oxidation in the oxic upper layers varied from 2 to 23 nmol CH4 L−1 day−1 and decreased to 0.3 nmol L−1 day−1 in the anoxic zone at a depth of 16–19 cm. Sulfate reduction rates were much higher, from 0.3 to 2.8 µmol L −1 day −1. In the surface sediments, ammonia-oxidizing Nitrosopumilaceae were abundant; the subsequent oxidation of nitrite to nitrate can be carried out by Nitrospira sp. Aerobic methane oxidation could be performed by uncultured deep-sea cluster 3 of gamma-proteobacterial methanotrophs. Undetectable low levels of methanogenesis were consistent with a near complete absence of methanogens. Anaerobic methane oxidation in the deeper sediments was likely performed by ANME-2a-2b and ANME-2c archaea in consortium with sulfate-reducing Desulfobacterota. Sulfide can be oxidized by nitrate-reducing Sulfurovum sp. Thus, the sulfur cycle was linked with the anaerobic oxidation of methane and the nitrogen cycle, which included the oxidation of ammonium to nitrate in the oxic zone and denitrification coupled to the oxidation of sulfide in the deeper sediments. Methane concentrations and rates of microbial biogeochemical processes in sediments in the northern part of the Barents Sea were noticeably higher than in oligotrophic areas of the Arctic Ocean, indicating that an increase in methane concentration significantly activates microbial processes.

scholarly journals Distribution of Nereilinum murmanicum (Annelida, Siboglinidae) in the Barents Sea in the Context of Its Oil and Gas Potential

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1339
Author(s):  
Nadezda Karaseva ◽  
Madina Kanafina ◽  
Mikhail Gantsevich ◽  
Nadezhda Rimskaya-Korsakova ◽  
Denis Zakharov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hydrogen Sulfide ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
Arctic Basin ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Depth Range ◽  
Oxidation Of Methane ◽  
The Barents Sea ◽  
High Concentrations

Frenulate siboglinids are a characteristic component of communities living in various reducing environments, including sites with hydrocarbon seeps. High concentrations of hydrocarbons in the sediments of the Arctic basin seas, including the Barents Sea, suggest the presence of a rich siboglinid fauna there. This reflects the fact that microbiological oxidation of methane occurs under reducing conditions, generating high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide in the sediment. This hydrogen sulfide acts as an energy source for the sulfide-oxidizing symbionts of siboglinids. Here we report on the findings of the frenulate siboglinid species Nereilinum murmanicum made between 1993 and 2020 in the Barents Sea. These data significantly expand the range of this species and yield new information on its habitat distribution. The depth range of N. murmanicum was 75–375 m. The species was most abundant from 200 to 350 m and was associated with temperatures below 3 °C and salinities from 34.42 to 35.07. Most of the findings (43 locations or 74%) fall on areas highly promising for oil and gas production. Twenty-eight locations (48%) are associated with areas of known oil deposits, 22 locations (37%) with explored areas of gas hydrate deposits. N. murmanicum was also found near the largest gas fields in the Barents Sea, namely Shtokman, Ludlovskoye and Ledovoye.

scholarly journals Phylogeography of the Brittle Star Ophiura sarsii Lütken, 1855 (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) from the Barents Sea and East Atlantic

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 40
Author(s):  
Evgeny Genelt-Yanovskiy ◽  
Yixuan Li ◽  
Ekaterina Stratanenko ◽  
Natalia Zhuravleva ◽  
Natalia Strelkova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
Haplotype Diversity ◽  
Brittle Star ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Coi Gene ◽  
High Genetic Diversity ◽  
Svalbard Archipelago ◽  
Mitochondrial Coi ◽  
The Barents Sea

Ophiura sarsii is a common brittle star species across the Arctic and Sub-Arctic regions of the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. Ophiurasarsii is among the dominant echinoderms in the Barents Sea. We studied the genetic diversity of O.sarsii by sequencing the 548 bp fragment of the mitochondrial COI gene. Ophiurasarsii demonstrated high genetic diversity in the Barents Sea. Both major Atlantic mtDNA lineages were present in the Barents Sea and were evenly distributed between the northern waters around Svalbard archipelago and the southern part near Murmansk coast of Kola Peninsula. Both regions, and other parts of the O.sarsii range, were characterized by high haplotype diversity with a significant number of private haplotypes being mostly satellites to the two dominant haplotypes, each belonging to a different mtDNA clade. Demographic analyses indicated that the demographic and spatial expansion of O.sarsii in the Barents Sea most plausibly has started in the Bølling–Allerød interstadial during the deglaciation of the western margin of the Barents Sea.

Arctic Freshwater in CMIP6: Declining Sea Ice, Increasing Ocean Storage and Export

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah Zanowski ◽  
Alexandra Jahn ◽  
Marika Holland
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Historical Period ◽  
Freshwater Flux ◽  
Bering Strait ◽  
The Barents Sea ◽  
Late 21St Century ◽  
Freshwater Export

<p>Recently, the Arctic has undergone substantial changes in sea ice cover and the hydrologic cycle, both of which strongly impact the freshwater storage in, and export from, the Arctic Ocean. Here we analyze Arctic freshwater storage and fluxes in 7 climate models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6 (CMIP6) and assess their agreement over the historical period (1980-2000) and in two future emissions scenarios, SSP1-2.6 and SSP5-8.5. In the historical simulation, few models agree closely with observations over 1980-2000. In both future scenarios the models show an increase in liquid (ocean) freshwater storage in conjunction with a reduction in solid storage and fluxes through the major Arctic gateways (Bering Strait, Fram Strait, Davis Strait, and the Barents Sea Opening) that is typically larger for SSP5-8.5 than SSP1-2.6. The liquid fluxes through the gateways exhibit a more complex pattern, with models exhibiting a change in sign of the freshwater flux through the Barents Sea Opening and little change in the flux through the Bering Strait in addition to increased export from the remaining straits by the end of the 21st century. A decomposition of the liquid fluxes into their salinity and volume contributions shows that the Barents Sea flux changes are driven by salinity changes, while the Bering Strait flux changes are driven by compensating salinity and volume changes. In the straits west of Greenland (Nares, Barrow, and Davis straits), the models disagree on whether there will be a decrease, increase, or steady liquid freshwater export in the early to mid 21st century, although they mostly show increased liquid freshwater export in the late 21st century. The underlying cause of this is a difference in the magnitude and timing of a simulated decrease in the volume flux through these straits. Although the models broadly agree on the sign of late 21st century storage and flux changes, substantial differences exist between the magnitude of these changes and the models’ Arctic mean states, which shows no fundamental improvement in the models compared to CMIP5.</p>

scholarly journals Fracture-controlled fluid transport supports microbial methaneoxidizing communities at the Vestnesa Ridge

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haoyi Yao ◽  
Wei-Li Hong ◽  
Giuliana Panieri ◽  
Simone Sauer ◽  
Marta E. Torres ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Transport ◽  
Surface Sediments ◽  
Dissolved Inorganic Carbon ◽  
Total Alkalinity ◽  
Anaerobic Oxidation Of Methane ◽  
Gas Migration ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Recent Onset ◽  
Oxidation Of Methane ◽  
Lipid Biomarker

Abstract. We report on a rare observation of a mini-fracture in near-surface sediments (30 cm below the seafloor) visualized using rotational scanning X-ray of a core recovered from the Lomvi pockmark, Vestnesa Ridge west of Svalbard (1200 m water depth). Porewater geochemistry and lipid biomarker signatures revealed clear differences in the geochemical and biogeochemical regimes of this core compared with two additional ones recovered from pockmarks sites at Vestnesa Ridge, which we attribute to differential methane transport mechanisms. In the sediments core featuring the shallow mini-fracture at pockmark Lomvi, we observed high concentrations of both methane and sulfate throughout the core in tandem with moderately elevated values for total alkalinity, 13C-depleted dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), and 13C-depleted lipid biomarkers (diagnostic for the slow-growing microbial communities mediating the anaerobic oxidation of methane with sulfate – AOM). In another core recovered from the same pockmark about 80 m away from the fractured core, we observed complete sulfate depletion in the top centimeters of the sediment and much more pronounced signatures of AOM than in the fractured core. Our data indicate a gas advection-dominated transport mode in both cores facilitating methane migration into sulfate-rich surface sediments. However, the more moderate expression of AOM signals suggest a rather recent onset of gas migration at the site of the fractured core, while the geochemical evidence for a well-established AOM community at the second coring site at the Lomvi pockmark suggest that gas migration has been going on for a longer period of time. A third core recovered from Lunde pockmark was dominated by diffusive transport with only weak geochemical and biogeochemical evidence for AOM. Our study highlights that advective fluid and gas transport supported by mini-fractures can be important in modulating methane dynamics in surface sediments.

scholarly journals Suitable habitats of fish species in the Barents Sea

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bérengère Husson ◽  
Gregoire Certain ◽  
Anatoly Filin ◽  
Benjamin Planque
Keyword(s):  
Fish Species ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
Environmental Predictors ◽  
Widespread Species ◽  
Species Response ◽  
Upper Limit ◽  
The Barents Sea ◽  
Suitable Habitats

AbstractMany marine species are shifting their distribution poleward in response to climate change. The Barents Sea, as a doorstep to the fast-warming Arctic, is experiencing large scale changes in its environment and its communities. This paper aims at understanding what environmental predictors limit fish species habitats in the Barents Sea and discuss their possible evolution in response to the warming of the Arctic.Species distribution models usually aim at predicting the probability of presence or the average abundance of a species, conditional on environmental drivers. A complementary approach is to determine suitable habitats by modelling the upper limit of a species’ response to environmental factors. Using quantile regressions, we model the upper limit of biomass for 33 fish species in the Barents Sea in response to 10 environmental predictors. Boreal species are mainly limited by temperatures and most of them are expected to be able to expand their distribution in the Barents Sea when new thermally suitable habitats become available, in the limit of bathymetric constraints. Artic species are often limited by several predictors, mainly depth, bottom and surface temperature and ice cover, and future habitats are hard to predict qualitatively. Widespread species like the Atlantic cod are not strongly limited by the selected variables at the scale of the study, and current and future suitable habitats are harder to predict. These models can be used as input to integrative tools like end-to-end models on the habitat preference and tolerance at the species scale to inform resource management and conservation.

scholarly journals Assessment of initial seismic impacts on the northern part of the Barents Sea shelf (Novaya Zemlya region) for the purpose of seismic microzoning in the areas of prospective hydrocarbon mining

2019 ◽  
pp. 38-47
Author(s):  
I. G. Mindel ◽  
B. A. Trifonov ◽  
M. D. Kaurkin ◽  
V. V. Nesynov
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
Arctic Shelf ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Russian Arctic ◽  
Seismic Microzoning ◽  
Novaya Zemlya ◽  
The Barents Sea ◽  
National Task ◽  
Seismic Impacts

In recent years, in connection with the national task of developing the Arctic territories of Russia and the perspective increase in the hydrocarbon mining on the Arctic shelf, more attention is being paid to the study of seismicity in the Barents Sea shelf. The development of the Russian Arctic shelf with the prospect of increasing hydrocarbon mining is a strategically important issue. Research by B.A. Assinovskaya (1990, 1994) and Ya.V. Konechnaya (2015) allowed the authors to estimate the seismic effects for the northern part of the Barents Sea shelf (Novaya Zemlya region). The paper presents the assessment results of the initial seismic impacts that can be used to solve seismic microzoning problems in the areas of oil and gas infrastructure during the economic development of the Arctic territory.

scholarly journals New species of Scolelepis (Polychaeta, Spionidae) from the Norwegian coast and Barents Sea with a brief review of the genus

2015 ◽  
Vol 35 ◽  
pp. 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrey Sikorski ◽  
Lyudmila Pavlova
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Kola Peninsula ◽  
Climate Warming ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
Identification Key ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Atlantic Sector ◽  
Norwegian Coast ◽  
The Barents Sea

<p>The species <em>Scolelepis finmarchicus</em> sp. nov. is described from the Norwegian and Barents Seas along the northern Norwegian coast and Kola peninsula. The occurrence of this species in the Kola Bay could be seen as a sign of climate warming in the area. Taxonomic issues existing in the genus <em>Scolelepis</em> within the area along the Norwegian coast and in the Barents Sea are briefly touched upon. Seven species belonging to <em>Scolelepis</em> have recently been recorded from the Atlantic sector of the Arctic. <em>Scolelepis</em> (<em>S</em>.) <em>matsugae</em> Sikorski, 1994 is newly synonymized with <em>S</em>. (<em>S</em>.) <em>laonicola</em> (Tzetlin, 1985). This article provides a brief review of <em>Scolelepis</em> together with an identification key for the genus from the Atlantic sector of the Arctic</p>

scholarly journals Virio- and bacterioplankton of the Barents Sea in the autumn

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3-2021) ◽  
pp. 45-53
Author(s):  
M.P. Venger ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Quantitative Composition ◽  
Autumn Period ◽  
Late Autumn ◽  
The Barents Sea ◽  
Cell Volumes

In the autumn period 2011, 2015 in the waters of the Barents Sea, the communities of viruses and bacteria were studied, their quantitative composition was determined, and the nature of their distribution was studied. It was shown that the distribution of both virio- and bacterioplankton had pronounced zoning presumably due to increased concentrations of organic matter in more productive coastal and Atlantic waters compared to the Arctic. In September 2011, the number of viruses varied from 0.6 to 46.7 million particles/ml, exceeding the abundance of bacteria by 5 times an average. The quantity of bacterioplankton varied within 0.3–2.9 million cells/ml, biomass – 4.1–35.1 mg C/m3, with a range of mean cell volumes of 0.030–0.115 μm3. In November–December 2015, the abundance of viruses was 0.3–6.4 million particles/ml and quantitatively exceeded their bacterial hosts by 18 times an average. The quantity and biomass of bacteria varied within 0.02–0.3 million cells/ml and 0.3–2.7 mg C/m3, with a range of mean cell volumes of 0.013–0.068 μm3. It was found that the level of development of virio- and bacterioplankton significantly decreased by the late autumn period.

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