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Cramm MA, Neves BDM, Manning CCM, Oldenburg TBP, Archambault P, Chakraborty A, Cyr-Parent A, Edinger EN, Jaggi A, Mort A, Tortell P, Hubert CRJ. Characterization of marine microbial communities around an Arctic seabed hydrocarbon seep at Scott Inlet, Baffin Bay. Sci Total Environ 2021; 762:143961. [PMID: 33373752 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Seabed hydrocarbon seeps present natural laboratories for investigating responses of marine ecosystems to petroleum input. A hydrocarbon seep near Scott Inlet, Baffin Bay, was visited for in situ observations and sampling in the summer of 2018. Video evidence of an active hydrocarbon seep was confirmed by methane and hydrocarbon analysis of the overlying water column, which is 260 m at this site. Elevated methane concentrations in bottom water above and down current from the seep decreased to background seawater levels in the mid-water column >150 m above the seafloor. Seafloor microbial mats morphologically resembling sulfide-oxidizing bacteria surrounded areas of bubble ebullition. Calcareous tube worms, brittle stars, shrimp, sponges, sea stars, sea anemones, sea urchins, small fish and soft corals were observed near the seep, with soft corals showing evidence for hydrocarbon incorporation. Sediment microbial communities included putative methane-oxidizing Methyloprofundus, sulfate-reducing Desulfobulbaceae and sulfide-oxidizing Sulfurovum. A metabolic gene diagnostic for aerobic methanotrophs (pmoA) was detected in the sediment and bottom water above the seep epicentre and up to 5 km away. Both 16S rRNA gene and pmoA amplicon sequencing revealed that pelagic microbial communities oriented along the geologic basement rise associated with methane seepage (running SW to NE) differed from communities in off-axis water up to 5 km away. Relative abundances of aerobic methanotrophs and putative hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria were elevated in the bottom water down current from the seep. Detection of bacterial clades typically associated with hydrocarbon and methane oxidation highlights the importance of Arctic marine microbial communities in mitigating hydrocarbon emissions from natural geologic sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret A Cramm
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada.
| | - Bárbara de Moura Neves
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Ecological Sciences Section, 80 East White Hills Road, P.O. Box 5667, St. John's, Newfoundland A1C 5X1, Canada
| | - Cara C M Manning
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Thomas B P Oldenburg
- Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Philippe Archambault
- ArcticNet, Québec Océan, Takuvik Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Anirban Chakraborty
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Annie Cyr-Parent
- Department of Economic Development and Transportation, Government of Nunavut, Building 1104A, Inuksugait Plaza, PO Box 1000, Station 1500, Iqaluit, NU X0A 0H0, Canada
| | - Evan N Edinger
- Memorial University of Newfoundland, 230 Elizabeth Avenue, St. John's, Newfoundland A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - Aprami Jaggi
- Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Andrew Mort
- Natural Resources Canada, 3303 33 Street NW, Calgary, Alberta T2L 2A7, Canada
| | - Philippe Tortell
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Casey R J Hubert
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
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