1
|
Lange-Enyedi NT, Németh P, Borsodi AK, Spötl C, Makk J. Calcium carbonate precipitating extremophilic bacteria in an Alpine ice cave. Sci Rep 2024; 14:2710. [PMID: 38302670 PMCID: PMC10834452 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53131-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Extensive research has provided a wealth of data on prokaryotes in caves and their role in biogeochemical cycles. Ice caves in carbonate rocks, however, remain enigmatic environments with limited knowledge of their microbial taxonomic composition. In this study, bacterial and archaeal communities of the Obstans Ice Cave (Carnic Alps, Southern Austria) were analyzed by next-generation amplicon sequencing and by cultivation of bacterial strains at 10 °C and studying their metabolism. The most abundant bacterial taxa were uncultured Burkholderiaceae and Brevundimonas spp. in the drip water, Flavobacterium, Alkanindiges and Polaromonas spp. in the ice, Pseudonocardia, Blastocatella spp., uncultured Pyrinomonadaceae and Sphingomonadaceae in carbonate precipitates, and uncultured Gemmatimonadaceae and Longimicrobiaceae in clastic cave sediments. These taxa are psychrotolerant/psychrophilic and chemoorganotrophic bacteria. On a medium with Mg2+/Ca2+ = 1 at 21 °C and 10 °C, 65% and 35% of the cultivated strains precipitated carbonates, respectively. The first ~ 200 µm-size crystals appeared 2 and 6 weeks after the start of the cultivation experiments at 21 °C and 10 °C, respectively. The crystal structure of these microbially induced carbonate precipitates and their Mg-content are strongly influenced by the Mg2+/Ca2+ ratio of the culture medium. These results suggest that the high diversity of prokaryotic communities detected in cryogenic subsurface environments actively contributes to carbonate precipitation, despite living at the physical limit of the presence of liquid water.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nóra Tünde Lange-Enyedi
- Institute for Geological and Geochemical Research, HUN-REN Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Budaörsi út 45, Budapest, 1112, Hungary
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Science, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. sétány 1/C, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
| | - Péter Németh
- Institute for Geological and Geochemical Research, HUN-REN Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Budaörsi út 45, Budapest, 1112, Hungary.
- Research Institute of Biomolecular and Chemical Engineering, Nanolab, University of Pannonia, Egyetem út 10, Veszprém, 8200, Hungary.
| | - Andrea K Borsodi
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Science, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. sétány 1/C, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
- Institute of Aquatic Ecology, HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research, Karolina út 29, Budapest, 1113, Hungary
| | - Christoph Spötl
- Institute of Geology, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 52, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Judit Makk
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Science, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. sétány 1/C, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Ramey-Lariviere JYF, Gong J, Baldes MJ, Chatterjee N, Bosak T, Pruss SB. Organic-rich bimineralic ooids record biological processes in Shark Bay, Western Australia. GEOBIOLOGY 2023; 21:629-643. [PMID: 37226324 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Marine ooids have formed in microbially colonized environments for billions of years, but the microbial contributions to mineral formation in ooids continue to be debated. Here we provide evidence of these contributions in ooids from Carbla Beach, Shark Bay, Western Australia. Dark 100-240 μm diameter ooids from Carbla Beach contain two different carbonate minerals. These ooids have 50-100 μm-diameter dark nuclei that contain aragonite, amorphous iron sulfide, detrital aluminosilicate grains and organic matter, and 10-20 μm-thick layers of high-Mg calcite that separate nuclei from aragonitic outer cortices. Raman spectroscopy indicates organic enrichments in the nuclei and high-Mg calcite layers. Synchrotron-based microfocused X-ray fluorescence mapping reveals high-Mg calcite layers and the presence of iron sulfides and detrital grains in the peloidal nuclei. Iron sulfide grains within the nuclei indicate past sulfate reduction in the presence of iron. The preservation of organic signals in and around high-Mg calcite layers and the absence of iron sulfide suggest that organics stabilized high-Mg calcite under less sulfidic conditions. Aragonitic cortices that surround the nuclei and Mg-calcite layers do not preserve microporosity, iron sulfide minerals nor organic enrichments, indicating growth under more oxidizing conditions. These morphological, compositional, and mineralogical signals of microbial processes in dark ooids from Shark Bay, Western Australia, record the formation of ooid nuclei and the accretion of magnesium-rich cortical layers in benthic, reducing, microbially colonized areas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jian Gong
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Matthew J Baldes
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nilanjan Chatterjee
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Tanja Bosak
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sara B Pruss
- Department of Geosciences, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Al Disi ZA, Naja K, Rajendran S, Elsayed H, Strakhov I, Al-Kuwari HAS, Sadooni F, Dittrich M, Al-Khayat JAA. Variability of blue carbon storage in arid evaporitic environment of two coastal Sabkhas or mudflats. Sci Rep 2023; 13:12723. [PMID: 37543665 PMCID: PMC10404240 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-39762-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Coastal Sabkhas are mudflats found in arid coastal regions that are located within the supratidal zone when high rates of evaporation lead to high salinity. While evaporitic minerals often accumulate underneath the surface, the microbial mats are present on the surface of Sabkhas. Coastal Sabkha, an under-studied ecosystem in Qatar, has the potential to store blue carbon. In the present study, we investigated the carbon storage capacity of two Sabkhas from contrasting geological backgrounds. The spatial and temporal variabilities of the carbon stocks were examined. The results showed that both studied Sabkhas exhibit a considerable potential for soil carbon storage with carbon stocks of 109.11 ± 7.07 Mg C ha-1 and 67.77 ± 18.10 Mg C ha-1 in Dohat Faishakh and Khor al Adaid Sabkha respectively. These values fall within the reported range for carbon stocks in coastal Sabkhas in the region (51-194 Mg C ha-1). Interestingly, the carbon stocks in the sediments of the Sabkhas were higher than those in the sediments of Qatari mangroves (50.17 ± 6.27 Mg C ha-1). These finding suggest that coastal Sabkhas can serve as blue carbon ecosystems in arid environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zulfa Ali Al Disi
- Environnemental Science Center, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar.
| | - Khaled Naja
- Environnemental Science Center, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar
- Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar
| | - Sankaran Rajendran
- Environnemental Science Center, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar
| | - Hadil Elsayed
- Environnemental Science Center, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar
| | - Ivan Strakhov
- Biogeochemistry Group, Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1065 Military Trail, Toronto, M1C 1A1, Canada
| | | | - Fadhil Sadooni
- Environnemental Science Center, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar
| | - Maria Dittrich
- Environnemental Science Center, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar
- Biogeochemistry Group, Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1065 Military Trail, Toronto, M1C 1A1, Canada
| | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Abdelsamad R, Al Disi Z, Abu-Dieyeh M, Al-Ghouti MA, Zouari N. Evidencing the role of carbonic anhydrase in the formation of carbonate minerals by bacterial strains isolated from extreme environments in Qatar. Heliyon 2022; 8:e11151. [PMID: 36311368 PMCID: PMC9614864 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e11151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Calcium carbonate, one of the most abundant minerals in the geological records is considered as primary source of the carbon reservoir. The role of microorganisms in the biotic precipitation of calcium carbonate has been extensively investigated, especially at extreme life conditions. In Qatar, Sabkhas which are microbial ecosystems housing biomineralizing bacteria, have been carefully studied as unique sites of microbial dolomite formation. Dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2 is an important carbonate mineral forming oil reservoir rocks; however, dolomite is rarely formed in modern environments. The enzyme carbonic anhydrase is present in many living organisms, performs interconversion between CO2 and the bicarbonate ion. Thus, carbonic anhydrase is expected to accelerate both carbonate rock dissolution and CO2 uptake at the same time, serving as carbonite source to carbonites-forming bacteria. This study gathered cross-linked data on the potential role of the carbonic anhydrase excreted by mineral-forming bacteria, isolated from two different extreme environments in Qatar. Dohat Faishakh Sabkha, is a hypersaline coastal Sabkha, from where various strains of the bacterium Virgibacillus were isolated. Virgibacillus can -not only-mediate carbonate mineral formation, but also contributes to magnesium incorporation into the carbonate minerals, leading to the formation of high magnesium calcite. The latter is considered as precursor for dolomite formation. In addition, bacterial strains isolated from marine sediments, surrounding coral reef in Qatar sea, would provide additional knowledge on the role of carbonic anhydrase in mineral formation. Here, the quantification of the two mostly described activities of carbonic anhydrase; esterase and hydration reactions were performed. Mineral-forming strains were shown to exhibit high activities as opposed to the non-forming minerals, which confirms the relation between the presence of active carbonic anhydrase combined with elevated metabolic activity and the biomineralizing potential of the bacterial strains. The highest specific intracellular carbonic anhydrase activity; as both esterase and hydration (i.e., 66 ± 3 and 583000 ± 39000 WAU/108 cells respectively), was evidenced in mineral-forming strains as opposed to non-mineral forming strains (i.e., 6 ±. 0.5 and 1223 ± 61 WAU/108cells) respectively. These findings would contribute to the understanding of the mechanism of microbially mediated carbonate precipitation. This role may be both in capturing CO2 as source of carbonate, and partial solubilization of the formed minerals allowing incorporation of Mg instead of calcium, before catalyzing again the formation of more deposition of carbonates.
Collapse
|
5
|
Oehlert AM, Suosaari EP, Kong T, Piggot AM, Maizel D, Lascu I, Demergasso C, Chong Díaz G, Reid RP. Physical, chemical, and microbial feedbacks controlling brine geochemistry and lake morphology in polyextreme salar environments. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 836:155378. [PMID: 35489513 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Despite the harsh environmental conditions in the world's oldest and driest desert, some salt flat or 'salar' environments in the Atacama Desert host standing bodies of water known as saline lakes. Evaporite minerals deposited within saline lakes result from the equilibrium of environmental, sedimentological, and biogeochemical processes that occur in the salar; consequently, these minerals are sensitive records of human activities and ecological, evolutionary, and geological changes. The objective of this study was to evaluate feedbacks between physical, chemical, and microbial processes that culminate in distinct trends in brine chemistry, saline lake morphology, and associated evaporite sediments. Using samples from the Puquios of the Salar de Llamara, Atacama Desert, northern Chile, an analysis of spatial gradients and vertical stratification of lake elemental chemistry and mineral saturation indices were integrated with a comprehensive analysis of lake morphology, including depth, slope gradient, substrate type, and mineralogy. Lake waters ranged from saline to hypersaline, and exhibited normal, well mixed and inverse stratification patterns, and results suggest a correlation with lake morphology in the Salar de Llamara. Saline to hypersaline lakes (>150 mS/cm) with stratified brines tended to have crystalline substrate and deep (>35 cm) and steep-sided lake morphologies, while unstratified lakes with lower electrical conductivity (<90 mS/cm and microbial substrates had gentle slopes and characteristically shallow depths (<30 cm). Differences in minor element chemistry (Mn and Sr) between saline lakes were observed on scales of meters to kilometers, and result in different accessory mineral assemblages. Quantification of the physical, chemical, and microbial feedbacks that produce the observed heterogeneity in these ecosystems provides key insight into the geochemical composition and lake morphology of saline lakes in extreme environments around the world.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M Oehlert
- Department of Marine Geosciences, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33149, USA.
| | - Erica P Suosaari
- Department of Mineral Sciences, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560, USA
| | - Tianshu Kong
- Department of Marine Geosciences, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33149, USA
| | - Alan M Piggot
- Bahamas Marine EcoCentre, Miami, FL 33156, USA; AP Research Inc, Miami, FL 33157, USA
| | - Daniela Maizel
- Department of Marine Geosciences, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33149, USA
| | - Ioan Lascu
- Department of Mineral Sciences, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560, USA
| | - Cecilia Demergasso
- Centro de Biotecnología, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Guillermo Chong Díaz
- Departamento de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - R Pamela Reid
- Department of Marine Geosciences, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33149, USA; Bahamas Marine EcoCentre, Miami, FL 33156, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Han Z, Qi P, Zhao Y, Guo N, Yan H, Tucker ME, Li D, Wang J, Zhao H. High Mg/Ca Molar Ratios Promote Protodolomite Precipitation Induced by the Extreme Halophilic Bacterium Vibrio harveyi QPL2. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:821968. [PMID: 35450281 PMCID: PMC9016281 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.821968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial activities have been demonstrated as critical for protodolomite precipitation in specific aqueous conditions, whereas the relationship between the various hydrochemical factors and bacterial activity has not been fully explored. In this study, biomineralization experiments were conducted using a newly isolated extreme halophilic bacterium from salina mud, Vibrio harveyi QPL2, under various Mg/Ca molar ratios (0, 3, 6, 10, and 12) and a salinity of 200‰. The mineral phases, elemental composition, morphology, and crystal lattice structure of the precipitates were analyzed by XRD, SEM, and HRTEM, respectively. The organic weight and functional groups in the biominerals were identified by TG-DSC, FTIR, and XPS analysis. The amounts of amino acids and polysaccharides in the EPS of QPL2 cultured at various Mg/Ca molar ratios were quantified by an amino acid analyzer and high-performance liquid chromatography. The results confirm that disordered stoichiometric protodolomite was successfully precipitated through the activities of bacteria in a medium with relatively high Mg/Ca molar ratios (10 and 12) but it was not identified in cultures with lower Mg/Ca molar ratios (0, 3, and 6). That bacterial activity is critical for protodolomite formation as shown by the significant bacterial relicts identified in the precipitated spherulite crystals, including pinhole structures, a mineral coating around cells, and high organic matter content within the crystals. It was also confirmed that the high Mg/Ca molar ratio affects the composition of the organic components in the bacterial EPS, leading to the precipitation of the protodolomite. Specifically, not only the total EPS amount, but also other facilitators including the acidic amino acids (Glu and Asp) and polysaccharides in the EPS, increased significantly under the high Mg/Ca molar ratios. Combined with previous studies, the present findings suggest a clear link between high Mg/Ca molar ratios and the formation of protodolomite through halophilic bacterial activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zuozhen Han
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Depositional Mineralization and Sedimentary Minerals, College of Earth Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China.,Laboratory for Marine Mineral Resources, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Peilin Qi
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Depositional Mineralization and Sedimentary Minerals, College of Earth Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Yanyang Zhao
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Depositional Mineralization and Sedimentary Minerals, College of Earth Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Na Guo
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Depositional Mineralization and Sedimentary Minerals, College of Earth Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Huaxiao Yan
- Department of Bioengineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Maurice E Tucker
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.,Cabot Institute, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Dan Li
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Depositional Mineralization and Sedimentary Minerals, College of Earth Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Jiajia Wang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Depositional Mineralization and Sedimentary Minerals, College of Earth Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Hui Zhao
- Department of Bioengineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Jimenez-Martinez J, Nguyen J, Or D. Controlling pore-scale processes to tame subsurface biomineralization. RE/VIEWS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND BIO/TECHNOLOGY 2022; 21:27-52. [PMID: 35221831 PMCID: PMC8831379 DOI: 10.1007/s11157-021-09603-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Microorganisms capable of biomineralization can catalyze mineral precipitation by modifying local physical and chemical conditions. In porous media, such as soil and rock, these microorganisms live and function in highly heterogeneous physical, chemical and ecological microenvironments, with strong local gradients created by both microbial activity and the pore-scale structure of the subsurface. Here, we focus on extracellular bacterial biomineralization, which is sensitive to external heterogeneity, and review the pore-scale processes controlling microbial biomineralization in natural and engineered porous media. We discuss how individual physical, chemical and ecological factors integrate to affect the spatial and temporal control of biomineralization, and how each of these factors contributes to a quantitative understanding of biomineralization in porous media. We find that an improved understanding of microbial behavior in heterogeneous microenvironments would promote understanding of natural systems and output in diverse technological applications, including improved representation and control of fluid mixing from pore to field scales. We suggest a range of directions by which future work can build from existing tools to advance each of these areas to improve understanding and predictability of biomineralization science and technology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joaquin Jimenez-Martinez
- Department of Water Resources and Drinking Water, Eawag, Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Jen Nguyen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3 Canada
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3 Canada
| | - Dani Or
- Division of Hydrologic Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Krzemińska M, Piwoni-Piórewicz A, Shunatova N, Duczmal-Czernikiewicz A, Muszyński A, Kubiak M, Kukliński P. Bryozoan carbonate skeletal geochemical composition in the White Sea compared with neighbouring seas. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 173:105542. [PMID: 34896921 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2021.105542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
A fundamental question underlying skeletal mineral secretion in marine invertebrates is the extent to which the physico-chemical parameters of seawater (e.g., salinity, temperature) and animal physiology influence their skeletal mineralogy and chemistry. Groups with more complex mineralogies, such as bryozoans, have the ability to actively control their own skeletal composition in response to environmental conditions and could be considered indicators of global environmental change. Thus, this study aims to reveal how the unique environmental conditions of low salinity (circa 24-26), prominent seasonality and semi-isolation of the White Sea (WS) subarctic region caused by the last glaciation (12,000 ya) affect the carbonate skeletal geochemical composition of bryozoans. X-ray diffraction analysis of 27 bryozoan taxa (92 specimens) revealed a completely monomineral calcite composition of skeletons with a mean value of 6.9 ± 1.8 mol% MgCO3 and moderate variability at the species and family levels. Most specimens (43.5%) precipitated skeletal magnesium within the range of 7-8 mol% MgCO3. Regional analysis of the mineralogical profile of the White Sea bryozoans shows that they differ statistically from bryozoan species living in the neighbouring Arctic and temperate Scotland regions in terms of magnesium content in calcite (approximately 7 mol% MgCO3 in the White Sea versus 5 mol% MgCO3 in other regions). We suggest that the effect of low salinity on magnesium content was compensated by relatively high summer temperature causing rapid growth and calcification and possibly resulted in the increased Mg contents in the White Sea (WS) bryozoans. However, on a local scale (between sampling locations), the influence of temperature and salinity could be excluded as a source of observed intraspecific variability. The concentration of MgCO3 in skeletons of the studied bryozoans is controlled by other environmental variables or is species-specific and depends on the physiological processes of the organisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Małgorzata Krzemińska
- Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712, Sopot, Poland.
| | - Anna Piwoni-Piórewicz
- Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712, Sopot, Poland; Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdańsk, Al. Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378, Gdynia
| | - Natalia Shunatova
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Saint Petersburg State University, Universitetskaja Nab. 7/9, 199034, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Agata Duczmal-Czernikiewicz
- Institute of Geology, Adam Mickiewicz University of Poznan, Ul. Bogumiła Krygowskiego 12, 61-680, Poznań, Poland
| | - Andrzej Muszyński
- Institute of Geology, Adam Mickiewicz University of Poznan, Ul. Bogumiła Krygowskiego 12, 61-680, Poznań, Poland
| | - Michał Kubiak
- Institute of Geology, Adam Mickiewicz University of Poznan, Ul. Bogumiła Krygowskiego 12, 61-680, Poznań, Poland
| | - Piotr Kukliński
- Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712, Sopot, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Al Disi ZA, Zouari N, Attia E, Al-Asali M, Al Saad Al-Kuwari H, Sadooni F, Dittrich M, Bontognali TRR. Systematic laboratory approach to produce Mg-rich carbonates at low temperature. RSC Adv 2021; 11:37029-37039. [PMID: 35496424 PMCID: PMC9043586 DOI: 10.1039/d1ra06206a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Dolomite is a common Mg-rich carbonate in the geological record, but the mechanism of its formation remains unclear. At low temperature, the incorporation of magnesium ions into the carbonate minerals necessary to form dolomite is kinetically inhibited. Over the decades, several factors that possibly allow for overcoming this kinetic barrier have been proposed, and their effectiveness debated. Here, we present the results of a large number of laboratory precipitation experiments that have been designed to identify and compare the factors that promote the formation of Mg-rich carbonates. Under the tested conditions, the most interesting observations include: (1) from solutions that mimic evaporitic seawater, the maximum mol% of Mg incorporated in high Mg calcite is 35, (2) carbonates with a mol% of Mg above 40 were obtained exclusively in the presence of organic molecules, (3) no correlation was observed between the charge of the organic molecules and the incorporation of Mg, (4) the mode (i.e., slow vs. fast mixing) used to add carbonate to the solution obtaining supersaturation has a significant impact on the forming mineral phase (aragonite vs. nesquehonite vs. high Mg calcite) and its Mg content. These findings allow for a more informed evaluation of the existing models for dolomite formation, which are based on the study of natural environments and ancient sedimentary sequences. Carbonates with a mol% of Mg above 40 were obtained exclusively in the presence of organic molecules. The mode used to add carbonate to the solution obtaining supersaturation has a significant impact on the forming mineral phase.![]()
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zulfa Ali Al Disi
- Environmental Sciences Program, Department of Biological & Environmental Sciences, College of Arts Sciences, Qatar University P. O. Box 2713 Doha Qatar
| | - Nabil Zouari
- Environmental Sciences Program, Department of Biological & Environmental Sciences, College of Arts Sciences, Qatar University P. O. Box 2713 Doha Qatar
| | - Essam Attia
- Central Laboratory Unit, Qatar University P. O. Box 2713 Doha Qatar
| | - Mazen Al-Asali
- Environmental Science Centre, Qatar University P. O. Box 2713 Doha Qatar
| | | | - Fadhil Sadooni
- Environmental Science Centre, Qatar University P. O. Box 2713 Doha Qatar
| | - Maria Dittrich
- Environmental Science Centre, Qatar University P. O. Box 2713 Doha Qatar.,Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough 1265 Military Trail Toronto M1C 1A4 Canada
| | - Tomaso R R Bontognali
- Environmental Science Centre, Qatar University P. O. Box 2713 Doha Qatar.,Space Exploration Institute (SPACE-X) 68 Faubourg de l'Hopital 2000 Neuchatel Switzerland.,Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel Klingelbergstrasse 27 4056 Basel Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Diloreto ZA, Garg S, Bontognali TRR, Dittrich M. Modern dolomite formation caused by seasonal cycling of oxygenic phototrophs and anoxygenic phototrophs in a hypersaline sabkha. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4170. [PMID: 33603064 PMCID: PMC7893050 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83676-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The "Dolomite Problem" has been a controversy for over a century, owing to massive assemblages of low-temperature dolomite in ancient rocks with little dolomite forming today despite favorable geochemical conditions. Experiments show that microbes and their exopolymeric substances (EPS) nucleate dolomite. However, factors controlling ancient abundances of dolomite can still not be explained. To decode the enigma of ancient dolomite, we examined a modern dolomite forming environment, and found that a cyclic shift in microbial community between cyanobacteria and anoxygenic phototrophs creates EPS suited to dolomite precipitation. Specifically, EPS show an increased concentration of carboxylic functional groups as microbial composition cycles from cyanobacterial to anoxygenic phototroph driven communities at low-and high- salinity, respectively. Comparing these results to other low-T forming environments suggests that large turnover of organic material under anoxic conditions is an important driver of the process. Consequently, the shift in atmospheric oxygen throughout Earth's history may explain important aspects of "The Dolomite Problem". Our results provide new context for the interpretation of dolomite throughout Earth's history.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zach A. Diloreto
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, Biogeochemistry Group, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Canada
| | - Sanchit Garg
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, Biogeochemistry Group, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Canada
| | - Tomaso R. R. Bontognali
- Space Exploration Institute, Fbg de l’Hopital 68, 2002 Neuchâtel, Switzerland ,grid.6612.30000 0004 1937 0642Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 27, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Maria Dittrich
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, Biogeochemistry Group, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Canada
| |
Collapse
|