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整合到定量预测框架中对于理解海洋系统的微生物生态至关重要。本项目工作将对地球化学多样性海底栖息地中微生物群落的功能多样性、活动和生理适应性进行定量评估。研究结果将指导将生物地球化学过程与深海热液喷口特定微生物群落联系起来的模型的发展，并对其他海洋栖息地产生影响。这项工作的重点是轴向海山，这是一个被充分研究过的、活跃的、位于太平洋东北部的深海热液海山。已经从Axial收集的样本，以及二年级的实地项目，将作为三个目标的基础，这是：1。确定并量化轴向海底山关键海底微生物谱系的功能多样性和活性（表达）。通过量化轴向海山分离物对原位地球化学参数的生长响应来确定对海底栖息地的生理适应。3. 建立一个定量预测框架，将特定类型的地球化学喷口条件与轴向海底山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轴向海底山漫射和邻近高温喷口的全面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相关的化学测量（气体、营养物质、金属、同位素和计算的吉布斯自由能），可以与微生物数据（微生物谱系和功能基因的丰度和活性、海底分离物在相关环境条件下的生长速度）进行比较，使用统计分析来确定特定的微生物活动如何与地球化学环境相关联。该项目建立在先前对轴向海底山微生物种群结构和地球化学测量的研究基础上，解决了当前知识和理解中阻碍热液系统建模进展的关键空白。研究结果将增加对深海热液生态系统的认识，并为控制世界海洋中海洋微生物群落的分布和活动提供新的见解。更广泛的影响：该项目本质上是跨学科的，处于微生物生态学和深海海洋学的界面，与国际和国家研究和教育组织有直接联系。这项工作的方法发展和结果将补充目前在山脊侧翼和活跃热液系统的海底调查，包括北太平洋胡安德富卡山脊的美国国家科学基金会微生物观测站和即将在北大西洋进行的综合海洋钻探计划的北池塘考察，以及与新开发的美国国家科学基金会研究协调网络整合，重点关注深层生物圈。本科生和研究生将参与课程开发、实验室和实地研究，允许在海洋生物实验室（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推广工作，将研究机构MBL与社区学院NWF联系起来，以影响传统上远离研究科学的群体。在为期三年的项目中，四名来自NWF的社区大学生将通过实习机会积极参与MBL的研究项目。此外，将开发一个包含该研究项目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。通过合作，NWF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促进更广泛的影响，这种新颖的教育和推广工作将成为促进其他研究人员-社区大学教师合作计划的典范。

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.