Collaborative Research: Function, activity, and adaptation of microbial communities in geochemically diverse subseafloor habitats

将实验室和现场的化学和微生物测量纳入定量预测框架，对于了解海洋系统的微生物生态至关重要。这项项目工作将对在不同地球化学性质的海底栖息地中微生物群落的功能多样性、活性和生理适应情况进行定量评估。结果将指导建立将生物地球化学过程与深海热液喷口的特定微生物群落联系起来的模型，并对其他海洋生物栖息地也有影响。这项工作的重点是轴海山，这是一座研究充分的、活跃的深海热液海山，位于东北太平洋。已经从Axial收集的样本以及第二年的实地计划将作为三个目标的基础，这三个目标是：1.确定和量化Axial海山关键海底下微生物谱系的功能多样性和活性(表达)。2.通过量化轴向海山分离物对现场地球化学参数的生长响应来确定对海底生境的生理适应。3.建立定量预测框架，将特定类型的地球化学喷口条件与轴海山上特定的微生物功能群和活动联系起来。该项目的具体成果包括建立了关于轴海山内扩散和邻近高温喷口的综合定量微生物和化学数据集。该数据库将包括与微生物代谢过程有关的化学测量(气体、营养素、金属、同位素和计算出的吉布斯自由能)，可与微生物学数据(微生物谱系和功能基因的丰度和活动、相关环境条件下海底分离株的生长率)进行比较，利用统计分析确定具体的微生物活动如何与地球化学环境相联系。该项目以以前对轴海山微生物种群结构和地球化学测量的研究为基础，解决了当前知识和理解方面的重大差距，这些知识和理解阻碍了模拟热液系统的进展。这些成果将增进对深海热液生态系统的了解，并为控制海洋微生物群落在世界各地的分布和活动提供新的见解。更广泛的影响：该项目是跨学科的，处于微生物生态学和深海海洋学的交界处，与国际和国家研究和教育组织有直接联系。方法这项工作的发展和成果将补充目前在海脊侧翼和活跃的热液系统进行的海底以下调查，包括北太平洋胡安德富卡海脊的国家科学基金会微生物观测站和即将在北大西洋的综合海洋钻探方案的北池探险，并与新建立的侧重于深层生物圈的国家科学基金会研究协调网络相结合。本科生和研究生将参与课程开发、实验室和实地研究，以便有机会在海洋生物实验室(MBL)和西北佛罗里达州立学院(NWF)进行一对一的指导机会。此外，该项目还包括一项独特的教育和外联工作，将研究机构MBL与社区大学西北大学联系起来，以影响一个传统上远离研究科学的群体。在为期三年的项目中，来自西北大学的四名社区大学生将通过实习机会积极参与MBL的一个研究项目。此外，还将开发一个包含来自该研究计划的真实科学数据的课堂模块，以极大地扩大受这项工作影响的社区大学生的数量。通过这一伙伴关系，西北大学的学生将能够接触到真正的尖端科学。将开发的模块传播给其他社区大学教师将有助于产生更广泛的影响，这一新颖的教育和外联努力将作为促进其他研究人员-社区大学教师伙伴计划的典范。

The integration of both laboratory and field-based chemical and microbiological measurements into a quantitative predictive framework is crucial to understanding the microbial ecology of marine systems. This project work will provide a quantitative assessment of the functional diversity, activity, and physiological adaptation of microbial communities in geochemically diverse subseafloor habitats. Results will guide development of models for linking biogeochemical processes with particular microbial communities at deep-sea hydrothermal vents, with implications for other marine habitats as well. The focus of the effort is at Axial Seamount, a well-studied, active, deep-sea hydrothermal seamount in the NE Pacific Ocean. Samples already collected from Axial, along with a field program in Year 2, will serve as the foundation for the three objectives, which are to: 1. Determine and quantify the functional diversity and activity (expression) of key subseafloor microbial lineages at Axial Seamount. 2. Determine physiological adaptations to the subseafloor habitat by quantifying the growth response of Axial Seamount isolates to in-situ geochemical parameters. 3. Develop a quantitative predictive framework for linking particular types of geochemical vent conditions with specific microbial functional groups and activities at Axial Seamount. Specific outcomes of this project include the creation of a comprehensive quantitative microbiological and chemical dataset on diffuse and adjacent high-temperature vents within Axial Seamount. This database will include chemical measurements (gases, nutrients, metals, isotopes, and calculated Gibbs free energies) relevant to microbial metabolic processes that can be compared to microbiological data (abundance and activity of microbial lineages and functional genes, growth rates of subseafloor isolates at relevant environmental conditions) using statistical analysis to identify how specific microbial activity is linked to the geochemical environment. This project builds on previous studies of microbial population structure and geochemical measurements at Axial Seamount and addresses critical gaps in current knowledge and understanding that are impeding progress of modeling hydrothermal systems. Results will increase understanding of deep-sea hydrothermal ecosystems as well as provide new insights into controls on the distribution and activity of marine microbial communities throughout the world's oceans. Broader Impacts: This project is interdisciplinary in nature, at the interface of microbial ecology and deep-sea oceanography with direct links to international and national research and educational organizations. Methods development and results from this work will complement current subseafloor investigations at ridge flanks and active hydrothermal systems, including the NSF-Microbial Observatory on the Juan de Fuca Ridge in the North Pacific and the upcoming Integrated Ocean Drilling Program's North Pond expedition in the North Atlantic, as well as integrate with the newly developed NSF Research Coordination Network focused on the deep biosphere. Undergraduate and graduate students will be involved in curriculum development and laboratory and field research, allowing for one-on-one mentoring opportunities at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) and Northwest Florida State College (NWF). In addition, the project includes a unique education and outreach effort that links MBL, a research institution, with NWF, a community college, in order to impact a group traditionally far removed from research science. During the three-year project, four community college students from NWF will actively participate in a research program at MBL through an internship opportunity. In addition, a classroom module incorporating real scientific data from this research program will be developed to greatly expand the number of community college students impacted by the work. Through the partnership, real cutting-edge science will be accessible to NWF students. Dissemination of the developed module to other community college instructors will facilitate an even broader impact, and this novel education and outreach effort will serve as a model to promote other researcher-community college teacher partnership programs.