Distributions of microbial activities in deep subseafloor sediments
Document Type
Article
Publication Title
Science
Publication Date
12-24-2004
Abstract
Diverse microbial communities and numerous energy-yielding activities occur in deeply buried sediments of the eastern Pacific Ocean. Distributions of metabolic activities often deviate from the standard model. Rates of activities, cell concentrations, and populations of cultured bacteria vary consistently from one subseafloor environment to another. Net rates of major activities principally rely on electron acceptors and electron donors from the photosynthetic surface world. At open-ocean sites, nitrate and oxygen are supplied to the deepest sedimentary communities through the underlying basaltic aquifer. In turn, these sedimentary communities may supply dissolved electron donors and nutrients to the underlying crustal biosphere.
Volume
306
Issue
5705
First Page
2216
Last Page
2221
DOI
10.1126/science.1101155
Recommended Citation
D'Hondt, S., Jørgensen, B., Miller, D., Batzke, A., Blake, R., Cragg, B., Cypionka, H., Dickens, G., Ferdelman, T., Hinrichs, K., Holm, N., Mitterer, R., Spivack, A., Wang, G., Bekins, B., Engelen, B., Ford, K., Gettemy, G., Rutherford, S., Sass, H., Skilbeck, C., Aiello, I., Guèrin, G., House, C., Inagaki, F., Meister, P., Naehr, T., Niitsuma, S., Parkes, R., Schippers, A., Smith, D., Teske, A., Wiegel, J., & Padilla, C. (2004). Distributions of microbial activities in deep subseafloor sediments. Science, 306 (5705), 2216-2221. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1101155
ISSN
00368075
