Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Microbes and Climate Change01:27

Microbes and Climate Change

91
Microorganisms are pivotal agents in Earth's biogeochemical cycles, significantly influencing climate dynamics through their metabolic activities. These microbes modulate the levels of key greenhouse gases by both contributing to and helping mitigate climate change.Microbial Contributions to Greenhouse Gas EmissionsRising global temperatures accelerate microbial metabolism, which, in turn, speeds up the decomposition of organic matter. This process releases carbon dioxide (CO₂) through...
91
Microbes and Methanogenesis01:26

Microbes and Methanogenesis

91
Methanogenesis is a critical microbial process in anaerobic ecosystems responsible for the biological production of methane, a potent greenhouse gas and valuable biofuel. This metabolic pathway is primarily facilitated by methanogenic archaea, which thrive in anoxic environments such as wetlands, sediments, and animal gastrointestinal tracts. The absence of oxygen in these habitats prevents aerobic respiration, thereby favoring alternative biochemical pathways for organic matter degradation.In...
91
Freshwater Microbial Ecology01:24

Freshwater Microbial Ecology

58
Freshwater systems such as streams, rivers, and lakes exhibit distinct physical and biological characteristics that influence their microbial communities. These environments are broadly categorized into lotic systems—those with flowing waters like streams and most rivers—and lentic systems, which include still or slow-moving waters such as lakes, ponds, and marshes.In lentic systems, phytoplankton drive primary production, generating autochthonous organic carbon. In contrast, lotic...
58
Marine Microbial Ecology01:30

Marine Microbial Ecology

66
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...
66
Bioremediation00:46

Bioremediation

17.4K
Bioremediation is the use of prokaryotes, fungi, or plants to remove pollutants from the environment. This process has been used to remove harmful toxins in groundwater as a byproduct of agricultural run-off and also to clean up oil spills.
17.4K
Metabolism of Chemolithotrophs01:15

Metabolism of Chemolithotrophs

1.3K
Chemolithotrophs are microorganisms that obtain energy by oxidizing inorganic molecules such as hydrogen gas (H₂), ammonia (NH₃), reduced sulfur compounds (H₂S, S²⁻), and ferrous iron (Fe²⁺). Unlike heterotrophic organisms that rely on organic carbon, chemolithotrophs transfer electrons from these inorganic donors to the electron transport chain (ETC), generating a proton motive force (PMF) that drives ATP synthesis through oxidative phosphorylation.
1.3K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Rock weathering can counteract river CO<sub>2</sub> emissions induced by permafrost thaw.

Nature·2026
Same author

Land change, fire, and climate weaken carbon sink in the conterminous United States.

Science advances·2025
Same author

Depth-resolved paired metagenomes and metatranscriptomes from the Lake Erie 'dead zone'.

Microbiology resource announcements·2025
Same author

Characterization and prediction of gross solids mass, organic matter, and total phosphorus in urban stormwater.

Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research·2025
Same author

Author Correction: Global methane emissions from rivers and streams.

Nature·2025
Same author

Prioritizing chemicals of emerging concern in the Great Lakes Basin using covariance of chemical concentrations and diverse biological responses from a variety of species.

Environmental toxicology and chemistry·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 30, 2026

Visualizing Methane-Cycling Microbial Dynamics in Coastal Wetlands
07:26

Visualizing Methane-Cycling Microbial Dynamics in Coastal Wetlands

Published on: January 31, 2025

971

Ebullitive methane emissions from oxygenated wetland streams.

John T Crawford1, Emily H Stanley, Seth A Spawn

  • 1U.S. Geological Survey, National Research Program, Boulder, CO, 80303, USA; Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 680 N. Park St., Madison, WI, 53706, USA.

Global Change Biology
|April 24, 2014
PubMed
Summary

Small streams significantly contribute to regional greenhouse gas emissions through methane bubbles. These ebullitive methane emissions from streams, even in well-oxygenated waters, are substantial and impact the global methane cycle.

Keywords:
carbon dioxideebullitionmethaneriversupscalingwetlands

More Related Videos

Measuring Dissolved Methane in Aquatic Ecosystems Using An Optical Spectroscopy Gas Analyzer
05:00

Measuring Dissolved Methane in Aquatic Ecosystems Using An Optical Spectroscopy Gas Analyzer

Published on: July 26, 2024

1.2K
Single-throughput Complementary High-resolution Analytical Techniques for Characterizing Complex Natural Organic Matter Mixtures
09:38

Single-throughput Complementary High-resolution Analytical Techniques for Characterizing Complex Natural Organic Matter Mixtures

Published on: January 7, 2019

7.4K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 30, 2026

Visualizing Methane-Cycling Microbial Dynamics in Coastal Wetlands
07:26

Visualizing Methane-Cycling Microbial Dynamics in Coastal Wetlands

Published on: January 31, 2025

971
Measuring Dissolved Methane in Aquatic Ecosystems Using An Optical Spectroscopy Gas Analyzer
05:00

Measuring Dissolved Methane in Aquatic Ecosystems Using An Optical Spectroscopy Gas Analyzer

Published on: July 26, 2024

1.2K
Single-throughput Complementary High-resolution Analytical Techniques for Characterizing Complex Natural Organic Matter Mixtures
09:38

Single-throughput Complementary High-resolution Analytical Techniques for Characterizing Complex Natural Organic Matter Mixtures

Published on: January 7, 2019

7.4K

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Geochemistry
  • Ecology

Background:

  • Stream and river carbon dioxide emissions are key to the global carbon cycle.
  • Methane emissions from streams are understudied, especially the bubble-mediated (ebullitive) pathway.
  • Existing data often overlook ebullitive methane flux, focusing on dissolved methane.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the significance of ebullitive methane emissions from small streams in a temperate North American landscape.
  • To identify the source of methane emitted from well-oxygenated streams.
  • To understand the role of streams in regional greenhouse gas budgets.

Main Methods:

  • Quantified stream methane flux densities, including ebullitive emissions.
  • Compared stream methane fluxes with wetland diffusive and ebullitive fluxes.
  • Analyzed groundwater chemistry to trace methane origin.
  • Examined sediment types (organic-rich and glacial sand) for bubble release rates.

Main Results:

  • Stream methane flux densities often exceeded nearby wetland diffusive and global average ebullitive fluxes.
  • Regional stream ebullitive methane flux was comparable to previously documented diffusive methane flux.
  • Organic-rich sediments showed highest bubble release and methane enrichment, but even sandy sediments had high emissions.
  • Groundwater chemistry suggests methane originates from anoxic near-stream porewaters.

Conclusions:

  • Ebullitive methane emissions from small streams are a major, often overlooked, component of regional greenhouse gas balances.
  • Streams, especially in northern hemisphere wetland landscapes, play a critical role in the global methane cycle.
  • Methane cycling in streams interacts with other elemental cycles, influencing ecosystem responses to environmental changes like drought and nutrient loading.