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Where are we going (and why?) Methane seeps (learn more about seeps) are an ideal natural laboratory to study the process of anaerobic oxidation of methane, supporting extremely elevated rates of sulfate-dependent methane oxidation and appreciable concentrations of methane-derived biomass. These unique environments have been described from numerous locations around the globe and are becoming increasingly recognized as a significant sink for methane in the marine environment (Hinrichs and Boetius, 2001). Although coastal sedimentary marine ecosystems represent by volume one of largest and significant systems where the anaerobic oxidation of methane occurs, these lower energy systems are challenging environments for conducting detailed microbiological investigations, with comparably lower rates of anaerobic oxidation of methane and orders of magnitude fewer methane-consuming microorganisms present. Research during our cruise will focus primarily on the methane seeps in Eel River basin, CA.
The Eel River basin supports abundant and diverse microorganisms associated with anaerobic oxidation of methane and has served as a major site for multi-disciplinary studies relating to methane dynamics and carbon cycling. We believe that detailed investigations of the diversity of syntrophic interactions and dynamics of carbon transfer within methane seeps can ultimately aid in deciphering the roles of similar microorganisms in more typical marine systems as well. Home | Goals | Summary | Microbes
and Methane | Where
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