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Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Unraveling the Unseen Players in the Ocean - A Field Guide to Water Chemistry and Marine Microbiology
Published on: November 5, 2014
Biogeochemical controls on microbial diversity in seafloor sulphidic sediments
M Müller1, K M Handley, J Lloyd
1National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK. mmueller@swinburne.edu.my
Microbial communities in seafloor sediments drive the alteration of hydrothermal sulphides. Marinobacter species are key players in iron and sulfur cycling, influencing sulphide fate after hydrothermal venting ceases.
Area of Science:
- Geochemistry
- Microbiology
- Marine Science
Background:
- Hydrothermal sulphides undergo transformation on the seafloor through abiotic and microbially mediated reactions when exposed to oxygenated seawater.
- Understanding these reactions is crucial for determining the ultimate fate of seafloor sulphide deposits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the biogeochemical processes and microbial communities involved in the alteration of sulphidic sediments.
- To characterize reaction products and microbial populations in a suboxic transition zone of a hydrothermal field.
Main Methods:
- Combined organic and inorganic geochemical analyses.
- Microbiological measurements.
- Sampling across distinct biogeochemical horizons in sediment cores.
Main Results:
- Distinct biogeochemical zonation observed, from oxic surface layers to suboxic zones and sulphide material.
- Significant differences in microbial communities across sampled horizons, linked to iron and sulfur redox cycling.
- Marinobacter species, associated with iron oxidation, were dominant in a sulphide lens within the lower core.
Conclusions:
- Microbial communities significantly influence the alteration of seafloor hydrothermal sulphides.
- Marinobacter species play a critical role in the oxidation of sulphides in relict sulphide lenses after hydrothermal activity ends.
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