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

Deep Sea Microbial Ecology01:18

Deep Sea Microbial Ecology

42
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...
42
Marine Microbial Ecology01:30

Marine Microbial Ecology

43
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...
43
Microbial Mats01:25

Microbial Mats

55
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...
55
Soil Microbial Ecology01:29

Soil Microbial Ecology

54
Soil microbial ecology is defined by highly diverse, spatially structured communities that drive nutrient cycling, organic matter turnover, and overall ecosystem stability. Although a gram of soil can contain thousands of bacterial and archaeal taxa, the ecological processes they mediate are even more crucial for sustaining terrestrial life.Microhabitats and NichesSoil is a heterogeneous mixture of minerals, organic matter, water, and air. Microbes inhabit distinct microhabitats formed by...
54
Microbial Interactions: Competition01:26

Microbial Interactions: Competition

55
Microbial competition is an ecological interaction in which microorganisms vie for limited resources within shared environments. These resources may include nutrients, space, or light, depending on the system. The intensity and outcome of competition are influenced by the environmental context, such as nutrient availability, spatial constraints, and the diversity of microbial species present. These competitive interactions significantly influence the structure, function, and resilience of...
55
Microenvironments01:22

Microenvironments

36
Microorganisms inhabit highly localized spaces known as microenvironments, which are defined by distinct physical and chemical characteristics. These include oxygen concentration, pH, temperature, light availability, and nutrient levels. The conditions within a microenvironment can differ markedly from those in the surrounding area and significantly influence microbial growth, metabolism, and community structure.Microenvironments often display sharp physicochemical gradients over small spatial...
36

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Electrogenic CH4 oxidation on a bioanode: putative extracellular electron transport system in Methylobacter sp.

FEMS microbiology ecology·2026
Same author

<i>Desulfatiglans-</i>related bacteria associated with conductive mineral particles in marine subsurface sediments.

mBio·2026
Same author

Adaptive laboratory evolution increased biofilm formation by <i>Sporomusa ovata</i> through a mutation in <i>galU</i>.

Biofilm·2026
Same author

Breathing both ways: simultaneous aerobic-anaerobic respiration in microbes.

Trends in microbiology·2026
Same author

Genome-centric metagenomics reveals electroactive syntrophs in a conductive particle-dependent consortium from coastal sediments.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Hypoxia increases microbial carbon assimilation of taurine in a seasonally anoxic fjord.

The ISME journal·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 6, 2026

Aerobic Biodegradation Testing of Materials Using a Natural Marine Seawater Inoculum and Closed Loop Respirometer
08:43

Aerobic Biodegradation Testing of Materials Using a Natural Marine Seawater Inoculum and Closed Loop Respirometer

Published on: October 24, 2025

583

Slow Microbial Life in the Seabed.

Bo Barker Jørgensen1, Ian P G Marshall1

  • 1Center for Geomicrobiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark; email: bo.barker@bios.au.dk , ianpgm@bios.au.dk.

Annual Review of Marine Science
|July 26, 2015
PubMed
Summary

Marine deep biosphere microbes thrive in low-energy environments with extremely slow growth, taking thousands of years to generate. Their survival hinges on efficient energy conservation and minimizing consumption for maintenance, repair, and growth.

Keywords:
bacteriabiomass turnoverdeep biosphereenergy metabolismmortalitysediment

More Related Videos

Chemotactic Response of Marine Micro-Organisms to Micro-Scale Nutrient Layers
22:38

Chemotactic Response of Marine Micro-Organisms to Micro-Scale Nutrient Layers

Published on: May 28, 2007

14.0K
Unraveling the Unseen Players in the Ocean - A Field Guide to Water Chemistry and Marine Microbiology
10:43

Unraveling the Unseen Players in the Ocean - A Field Guide to Water Chemistry and Marine Microbiology

Published on: November 5, 2014

26.4K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 6, 2026

Aerobic Biodegradation Testing of Materials Using a Natural Marine Seawater Inoculum and Closed Loop Respirometer
08:43

Aerobic Biodegradation Testing of Materials Using a Natural Marine Seawater Inoculum and Closed Loop Respirometer

Published on: October 24, 2025

583
Chemotactic Response of Marine Micro-Organisms to Micro-Scale Nutrient Layers
22:38

Chemotactic Response of Marine Micro-Organisms to Micro-Scale Nutrient Layers

Published on: May 28, 2007

14.0K
Unraveling the Unseen Players in the Ocean - A Field Guide to Water Chemistry and Marine Microbiology
10:43

Unraveling the Unseen Players in the Ocean - A Field Guide to Water Chemistry and Marine Microbiology

Published on: November 5, 2014

26.4K

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Oceanography
  • Geochemistry

Background:

  • Seabed microbial populations vastly outnumber those in the water column.
  • Marine deep biosphere microorganisms exist on less than 1% of oceanic fixed organic matter.
  • These communities are stable, diverse, and characterized by extremely limited energy availability.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate microbial life strategies in the energy-limited marine deep biosphere.
  • To understand the factors regulating microbial growth and survival in this environment.
  • To analyze the efficiency of energy conservation in subsurface microorganisms.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of microbial community structure and diversity in deep seabed environments.
  • Measurement of substrate concentrations (e.g., acetate) and turnover times.
  • Modeling of microbial generation times and energy consumption patterns.

Main Results:

  • Microbial growth rates are exceedingly slow, with mean generation times spanning tens to thousands of years.
  • Low micromolar concentrations of intermediate substrates like acetate have turnover times of several hundred years.
  • Microbial communities undergo limited generations (approx. 10,000) over millions of years of subsurface existence.

Conclusions:

  • Subsurface microorganisms have evolved highly efficient energy-conserving mechanisms.
  • Survival strategies involve minimizing energy expenditure for essential processes like maintenance, repair, and growth.
  • Virus-induced mortality may play a role in regulating these slow-growing populations.