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Molecular isotopic tracing of carbon flow and trophic relationships in a methane‐supported benthic microbial community
Author(s) -
Werne Josef P.,
Baas M.,
Sinninghe Damsté J. S.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
limnology and oceanography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.7
H-Index - 197
eISSN - 1939-5590
pISSN - 0024-3590
DOI - 10.4319/lo.2002.47.6.1694
Subject(s) - chemosynthesis , methane , cold seep , anaerobic oxidation of methane , archaea , environmental chemistry , microbial population biology , benthic zone , trophic level , biomass (ecology) , microbial mat , isotopes of carbon , carbon fibers , ecology , environmental science , chemistry , total organic carbon , biology , bacteria , hydrothermal vent , hydrothermal circulation , paleontology , cyanobacteria , genetics , materials science , composite number , composite material
A molecular isotopic study in cold‐seep sediments from Kazan mud volcano in the eastern Mediterranean Sea indicates that a significant proportion of methane released in this environment is incorporated into biomass in methane‐supported chemosynthetic microbial communities. Furthermore, extremely 13 C depleted biomarkers (as much as –111‰ Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite (VPDB)) have revealed pathways of methane‐derived carbon flow through the microbial community and into eukaryotic biomass. Specifically, we are able to trace the flow of methane derived carbon through anaerobic methane‐oxidizing archaea into sulfate‐reducing bacteria, as well as into aerobic methane‐oxidizing bacteria. The methane‐derived carbon is then incorporated into eukaryotic biomass through heterotrophy by bacterivorous ciliates.