MO: COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: A MICROBIAL OBSERVATORY EXAMINING MICROBIAL ABUNDANCE, DIVERSITY, ASSOCIATIONS AND ACTIVITY AT SEAFLOOR BRINE SEEPS

MO：合作研究：微生物观测站检查海底盐水渗漏处的微生物丰度、多样性、关联性和活动

• 批准号: 0801742
• 负责人: Andreas Teske
• 金额: $ 40万
• 依托单位: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2008-09-01 至 2014-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0801742&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: MO; COLLABORATIVE; RESEARCH; MICROBIAL; OBSERVATORY

Brine seeps are caused by the dissolution of salt that was deposited when the Gulf of Mexico was an evaporative basin and then buried beneath sediments. When salt deposits come into contact with seawater, they dissolve, and form brines many times saltier than seawater. Salt migration creates faults in the sediment column and drives seepage of brine fluids and materials from the deep subsurface to the seafloor. These heavy brines flow out of the seafloor forming puddles, pools, and lakes of brine. Brine seeps occur along continental margins, but surprisingly little is known about the diversity and activity of their microbial communities. Brine seeps are fueled by persistent fluid and gas discharge over periods of decades to centuries, thus it is likely that distinct free-living microbial communities have adapted to these habitats. Brine seep habitats may be analogs for brine seeps on other worlds as are thought to occur on Europa, Titan or Mars. The laboratories of Drs. Samantha Joye of the University of Georgia, Ian MacDonald of Texas A and M and Andreas Teske of the University of North Carolina and colleagues from Germany and Denmark will be characterizing the distribution and activity of the microbes in Gulf of Mexico brine seeps, examining the interactions of the microbial communities with their unusual environment, and evaluating the biogeochemical role of these communities in the brine seep habitats. They will be using a three-pronged approach that includes in-situ sampling, long-term monitoring, and experimentation to quantify the abundance, diversity and activity of microorganisms mediating carbon and sulfur transformations in brine seeps, to identify the environmental controls on these microbial activities and distributions, to trace carbon and sulfur flow through the microbial food web using stable isotope biomarkers, DNA and RNA and to isolate and characterize novel microorganisms from these brine seeps. This project will include a diverse portfolio of outreach activities. The research will include undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral scientists. An exchange program between US, German and Danish collaborators will permit US graduate students to live and work in Bremen, Germany or Odense, Denmark. A middle or high school science teacher will be participating in the research cruises through collaboration with the Centers for Ocean Science Education Excellence-Southeast program. The science teacher will work in one of the PI?s laboratories to develop course materials for use in middle and/or high schools. The PIs will have interactive web casts of research cruises and a project web page will be available, by year one of the project, for the scientific community and for the general public.

盐水渗漏是由墨西哥湾还是蒸发盆地时沉积的盐溶解引起的，然后埋在沉积物下面。当盐沉积物与海水接触时，它们会溶解并形成比海水咸许多倍的盐水。盐迁移在沉积物柱中产生断层，并驱动盐水流体和物质从地下深处渗漏到海底。这些浓盐水从海底流出，形成盐水坑、水池和盐水湖。 盐水渗漏发生在大陆边缘，但令人惊讶的是，人们对其微生物群落的多样性和活动知之甚少。数十年至数百年持续的液体和气体排放加剧了盐水渗漏，因此独特的自由生活微生物群落很可能已经适应了这些栖息地。盐水渗漏栖息地可能与其他星球上的盐水渗漏类似，例如木卫二、土卫六或火星上的盐水渗漏。博士的实验室。佐治亚大学的 Samantha Joye、德克萨斯大学的 Ian MacDonald 和北卡罗来纳大学的 Andreas Teske 以及来自德国和丹麦的同事将描述墨西哥湾盐水渗漏中微生物的分布和活动，研究微生物群落与其不寻常环境的相互作用，并评估这些群落在 盐水渗漏栖息地。他们将采用三管齐下的方法，包括原位采样、长期监测和实验，以量化盐水渗漏中介导碳和硫转化的微生物的丰度、多样性和活性，确定对这些微生物活动和分布的环境控制，使用稳定同位素生物标志物、DNA和RNA追踪微生物食物网中的碳和硫流动，并 从这些盐水渗漏中分离和表征新型微生物。 该项目将包括多样化的外展活动。该研究将包括本科生、研究生以及博士后科学家。美国、德国和丹麦合作者之间的交流计划将允许美国研究生在德国不来梅或丹麦欧登塞生活和工作。一名初中或高中科学教师将通过与东南海洋科学教育卓越中心项目的合作参加研究航行。 科学老师将在 PI 的实验室之一工作，开发供初中和/或高中使用的课程材料。 PI 将提供研究巡航的交互式网络广播，并且将在项目第一年向科学界和公众提供项目网页。