The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

From the surface to the deep-sea: bacterial distributions across polymetallic nodule fields in the Clarion-Clipperton zone of the Pacific Ocean

From the surface to the deep-sea: bacterial distributions across polymetallic nodule fields in the Clarion-Clipperton zone of the Pacific Ocean
From the surface to the deep-sea: bacterial distributions across polymetallic nodule fields in the Clarion-Clipperton zone of the Pacific Ocean
Marine bacteria regulate fluxes of matter and energy essential for pelagic and benthic organisms and may also be involved in the formation and maintenance of commercially valuable abyssal polymetallic nodules. Future mining of these nodule fields is predicted to have substantial effects on biodiversity and physicochemical conditions in mined areas. Yet, the identity and distributions of bacterial populations in deep-sea sediments and associated polymetallic nodules has received relatively little attention. We examined bacterial communities using high-throughput sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA gene fragments from samples collected in the water column, sediment, and polymetallic nodules in the Pacific Ocean (bottom depth ≥4,000 m) in the eastern Clarion-Clipperton Zone. Operational taxonomic units (OTUs; defined at 99% 16S rRNA gene identity) affiliated with JTB255 (Gammaproteobacteria) and Rhodospirillaceae (Alphaproteobacteria) had higher relative abundances in the nodule and sediment habitats compared to the water column. Rhodobiaceae family and Vibrio OTUs had higher relative abundance in nodule samples, but were less abundant in sediment and water column samples. Bacterial communities in sediments and associated with nodules were generally similar; however, 5,861 and 6,827 OTUs found in the water column were retrieved from sediment and nodule habitats, respectively. Cyanobacterial OTUs clustering among Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus were detected in both sediments and nodules, with greater representation among nodule samples. Such results suggest that vertical export of typically abundant photic-zone microbes may be an important process in delivery of water column microorganisms to abyssal habitats, potentially influencing the structure and function of communities in polymetallic nodule fields.
1664-302X
Lindh, Markus V.
5a966a7c-fbec-4007-9b7b-9d86bd76107e
Maillot, Brianne M.
56125ed9-bd7e-470c-969d-a14091464e33
Shulse, Christine N.
54add35a-2fe5-4700-a08a-4fceade11391
Gooday, Andrew J.
d9331d67-d518-4cfb-baed-9df3333b05b9
Amon, Diva J.
bcd41379-a74d-422a-be67-1c2ad974fef0
Smith, Craig R.
a99f491d-b292-47c1-9f16-3cde8f85bc0d
Church, Matthew J.
64970e66-4421-499e-800b-491abfee4010
Lindh, Markus V.
5a966a7c-fbec-4007-9b7b-9d86bd76107e
Maillot, Brianne M.
56125ed9-bd7e-470c-969d-a14091464e33
Shulse, Christine N.
54add35a-2fe5-4700-a08a-4fceade11391
Gooday, Andrew J.
d9331d67-d518-4cfb-baed-9df3333b05b9
Amon, Diva J.
bcd41379-a74d-422a-be67-1c2ad974fef0
Smith, Craig R.
a99f491d-b292-47c1-9f16-3cde8f85bc0d
Church, Matthew J.
64970e66-4421-499e-800b-491abfee4010

Lindh, Markus V., Maillot, Brianne M., Shulse, Christine N., Gooday, Andrew J., Amon, Diva J., Smith, Craig R. and Church, Matthew J. (2017) From the surface to the deep-sea: bacterial distributions across polymetallic nodule fields in the Clarion-Clipperton zone of the Pacific Ocean. Frontiers in Microbiology, 8, [01696]. (doi:10.3389/fmicb.2017.01696).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Marine bacteria regulate fluxes of matter and energy essential for pelagic and benthic organisms and may also be involved in the formation and maintenance of commercially valuable abyssal polymetallic nodules. Future mining of these nodule fields is predicted to have substantial effects on biodiversity and physicochemical conditions in mined areas. Yet, the identity and distributions of bacterial populations in deep-sea sediments and associated polymetallic nodules has received relatively little attention. We examined bacterial communities using high-throughput sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA gene fragments from samples collected in the water column, sediment, and polymetallic nodules in the Pacific Ocean (bottom depth ≥4,000 m) in the eastern Clarion-Clipperton Zone. Operational taxonomic units (OTUs; defined at 99% 16S rRNA gene identity) affiliated with JTB255 (Gammaproteobacteria) and Rhodospirillaceae (Alphaproteobacteria) had higher relative abundances in the nodule and sediment habitats compared to the water column. Rhodobiaceae family and Vibrio OTUs had higher relative abundance in nodule samples, but were less abundant in sediment and water column samples. Bacterial communities in sediments and associated with nodules were generally similar; however, 5,861 and 6,827 OTUs found in the water column were retrieved from sediment and nodule habitats, respectively. Cyanobacterial OTUs clustering among Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus were detected in both sediments and nodules, with greater representation among nodule samples. Such results suggest that vertical export of typically abundant photic-zone microbes may be an important process in delivery of water column microorganisms to abyssal habitats, potentially influencing the structure and function of communities in polymetallic nodule fields.

Text
fmicb-08-01696 - Version of Record
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution.
Download (2MB)

More information

Accepted/In Press date: 23 August 2017
e-pub ahead of print date: 8 September 2017

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 414494
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/414494
ISSN: 1664-302X
PURE UUID: 617b9152-2642-4cef-b07b-52d9b890bfa8

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 03 Oct 2017 16:31
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 16:17

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: Markus V. Lindh
Author: Brianne M. Maillot
Author: Christine N. Shulse
Author: Andrew J. Gooday
Author: Diva J. Amon
Author: Craig R. Smith
Author: Matthew J. Church

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×