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07:26
Visualizing Methane-Cycling Microbial Dynamics in Coastal Wetlands
Published on: January 31, 2025
Microbial methanol uptake in northeast Atlantic waters.
Joanna L Dixon1, Rachael Beale, Philip D Nightingale
1Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, West Hoe, Plymouth, Devon, UK. jod@pml.ac.uk
The ISME Journal
|November 12, 2010
Summary
Methanol is primarily consumed by microbes in seawater, acting as both an energy and carbon source. This study quantifies methanol loss rates, improving understanding of its oceanic role and global budget.
Area of Science:
- Marine chemistry
- Biogeochemical cycles
- Microbial ecology
Background:
- Methanol is a key oxygenated volatile organic compound influencing atmospheric chemistry.
- Oceanic methanol concentrations and its role as a source or sink remain poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine methanol loss rates in seawater.
- To investigate microbial uptake and oxidation processes of methanol.
- To assess the oceanic methanol budget and its impact on atmospheric chemistry.
Main Methods:
- Utilized (14)C-labelled methanol to track microbial uptake and oxidation to (14)CO(2).
- Measured biological methanol oxidation rates in surface seawater from the northeast Atlantic.
- Conducted kinetic experiments to determine maximum velocity (Vmax) and Michaelis-Menten constant (Km).
- Correlated methanol uptake with bacterial and phytoplankton parameters.
Main Results:
- Methanol is predominantly used as a microbial energy source and also as a carbon source.
- Biological methanol oxidation rates ranged from 2.1 to 8.4 nmol l(-1) day(-1) in the northeast Atlantic.
- Predicted Vmax up to 29 nmol l(-1) day(-1) with high affinity (Km = 9.3 nM) in productive coastal waters.
- Estimated biological turnover times of 7 to 33 days, with shorter times in productive shelf waters.
- Methanol uptake correlated with bacterial and phytoplankton abundance.
Conclusions:
- This study provides the first direct measurements of methanol loss rates in seawater.
- Findings indicate that oceans can be a significant sink for atmospheric methanol.
- Improved understanding of oceanic methanol cycling will refine global methanol budget estimations.
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