Microbial Reefs in the Black Sea Fueled by Anaerobic Oxidation of Methane

Media type: E-Article
Title: Microbial Reefs in the Black Sea Fueled by Anaerobic Oxidation of Methane
Contributor: Michaelis, Walter; Seifert, Richard; Nauhaus, Katja; Treude, Tina; Thiel, Volker; Blumenberg, Martin; Knittel, Katrin; Gieseke, Armin; Peterknecht, Katharina; Pape, Thomas; Boetius, Antje; Amann, Rudolf; Jørgensen, Bo Barker; Widdel, Friedrich; Peckmann, Jörn; Pimenov, Nikolai V.; Gulin, Maksim B.
imprint: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), 2002
Published in: Science
Language: English
DOI: 10.1126/science.1072502
ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
Keywords: Multidisciplinary
Origination:
Footnote:
Description: <jats:p> Massive microbial mats covering up to 4-meter-high carbonate buildups prosper at methane seeps in anoxic waters of the northwestern Black Sea shelf. Strong <jats:sup>13</jats:sup> C depletions indicate an incorporation of methane carbon into carbonates, bulk biomass, and specific lipids. The mats mainly consist of densely aggregated archaea (phylogenetic ANME-1 cluster) and sulfate-reducing bacteria ( <jats:italic>Desulfosarcina/Desulfococcus</jats:italic> group). If incubated in vitro, these mats perform anaerobic oxidation of methane coupled to sulfate reduction. Obviously, anaerobic microbial consortia can generate both carbonate precipitation and substantial biomass accumulation, which has implications for our understanding of carbon cycling during earlier periods of Earth's history. </jats:p>

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