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Microbes and Other Elemental Cycles01:24

Microbes and Other Elemental Cycles

Microbial activity plays a pivotal role in the biogeochemical cycling of iron and manganese, especially at the redox gradients characteristic of stratified aquatic environments. These cycles are driven by microbial transformations between oxidized and reduced forms of the metals, allowing organisms to exploit them for metabolic energy and structural purposes.Iron Cycling Across Redox GradientsIn neutral, oxygen-rich surface waters, iron is predominantly found in its oxidized, insoluble ferric...
Deep Sea Microbial Ecology01:18

Deep Sea Microbial Ecology

The deep ocean and its underlying sediments represent vast, largely unexplored microbial habitats that extend far beyond the sunlit photic zone. The photic (euphotic) zone typically spans the upper ~100–200 meters of pelagic waters in the open ocean, but its depth varies geographically and seasonally, where sufficient light supports photosynthetic life. Below this lies the deep sea, spanning roughly 1000–6000 meters (bathypelagic to abyssal zones), with deeper hadal trenches extending beyond...
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Microbial communities forming biofilms and mats represent complex, spatially structured ecosystems where metabolic processes are stratified according to light, oxygen, and nutrient gradients. Biofilms are initial colonization stages, only a few millimeters thick, while mature microbial mats can reach centimeter-scale thickness and display intricate vertical organization. Their structural and functional heterogeneity allows microorganisms to occupy distinct ecological niches within a few...
Marine Microbial Ecology01:30

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Marine microbial ecosystems are shaped by distinct physicochemical limits, including high salinity, low nutrient availability, and fluctuating oxygen levels. These conditions favor smaller microbial cell sizes, which maximize their surface-to-volume ratio for efficient nutrient uptake.Microbial activity and community composition are closely linked to biogeochemical cycles, particularly in dynamic environments like estuaries, where halotolerant microbes thrive in response to variable salinity...
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Freshwater Microbial Ecology

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Laboratory Simulation of an Iron(II)-rich Precambrian Marine Upwelling System to Explore the Growth of Photosynthetic Bacteria
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Published on: July 24, 2016

A contemporary microbially maintained subglacial ferrous "ocean".

Jill A Mikucki1, Ann Pearson, David T Johnston

  • 1Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA. jill.a.mikucki@dartmouth.edu

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|April 18, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Microbes in Antarctic subglacial brine cycle sulfur using iron, not oxygen, due to limited carbon. This ancient ecosystem offers insights into early Earth

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Establishment of Microbial Eukaryotic Enrichment Cultures from a Chemically Stratified Antarctic Lake and Assessment of Carbon Fixation Potential
14:38

Establishment of Microbial Eukaryotic Enrichment Cultures from a Chemically Stratified Antarctic Lake and Assessment of Carbon Fixation Potential

Published on: April 20, 2012

Area of Science:

  • Geomicrobiology
  • Biogeochemistry
  • Antarctic Research

Background:

  • Ancient marine brine exists beneath East Antarctic Ice Sheet's Taylor Glacier.
  • This brine is sulfate-rich and isolated from surface processes.
  • Understanding subglacial microbial ecosystems is crucial for astrobiology and Earth's history.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate microbial sulfur cycling in a subglacial brine.
  • Determine the role of iron as a terminal electron acceptor.
  • Explore implications for ancient, organic-starved marine environments.

Main Methods:

  • Isotopic measurements (sulfate, water, carbonate, ferrous iron).
  • Functional gene analysis (adenosine 5'-phosphosulfate reductase).
  • Analysis of subglacial brine geochemistry.

Main Results:

  • An active microbial assemblage facilitates a catalytic sulfur cycle.
  • Iron(III) serves as the terminal electron acceptor.
  • Limited organic carbon due to lack of photosynthesis results in anoxic, non-sulfidic brine.
  • Subglacial microbes grow in isolation.

Conclusions:

  • Coupled biogeochemical processes sustain microbial life in extreme, isolated environments.
  • The subglacial system mirrors conditions in Neoproterozoic oceans.
  • Fe(II) accumulation can occur despite active sulfur cycling in organic-poor settings.