Deep sub-seafloor prokaryotes stimulated at interfaces over geological time

Parkes, Ronald John, Webster, Gordon ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9530-7835, Cragg, Barry Andrew, Weightman, Andrew John ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6671-2209, Newberry, Carole Janice, Ferdelman, Timothy G., Kallmeyer, Jens, Jorgensen, Bo B., Aiello, Ivano W. and Fry, John Christopher 2005. Deep sub-seafloor prokaryotes stimulated at interfaces over geological time. Nature 436 (7049) , pp. 390-394. 10.1038/nature03796

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Abstract

The sub-seafloor biosphere is the largest prokaryotic habitat on Earth1 but also a habitat with the lowest metabolic rates2. Modelled activity rates are very low, indicating that most prokaryotes may be inactive or have extraordinarily slow metabolism2. Here we present results from two Pacific Ocean sites, margin and open ocean, both of which have deep, subsurface stimulation of prokaryotic processes associated with geochemical and/or sedimentary interfaces. At 90m depth in the margin site, stimulation was such that prokaryote numbers were higher (about 13-fold) and activity rates higher than or similar to near-surface values. Analysis of high-molecular-mass DNA confirmed the presence of viable prokaryotes and showed changes in biodiversity with depth that were coupled to geochemistry, including a marked community change at the 90-m interface. At the open ocean site, increases in numbers of prokaryotes at depth were more restricted but also corresponded to increased activity; however, this time they were associated with repeating layers of diatomrich sediments (about 9Myr old). These results show that deep sedimentary prokaryotes can have high activity, have changing diversity associated with interfaces and are active over geological timescales.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Earth and Environmental Sciences Biosciences
ISSN:	0028-0836
Last Modified:	19 Jun 2023 00:59
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/1298

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