Collaborative Research: In Situ Measurement of Rates of Chemoautotrophic Carbon Production at Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents

PI请求提供资金，以开发Vent-Time Series潜水培养装置（Vent-TSSID），这是一个机器人微型实验室，供海洋学界日常使用，用于测量热液喷口在原位压力和温度下的相关代谢过程速率。关于在深海热液喷口进行CO2固定的微生物的原地代谢的知识非常有限。特别缺乏的是测量自生碳固定率的研究，这是最终需要限制这些生态系统中的生产的一种测量方法。尽管最近的数据表明，硝酸盐还原为N2（反硝化）或NH 4+（硝酸盐异化还原为铵，DNRA）可能是化能自养生产的很大一部分原因，但从未在热液喷口原位测量过NO3 -还原率。更广泛的影响： 根据这项拟议工作开发的Vent-TSSID将提供给研究界，供在其他深海喷口使用。这笔赠款将资助2名研究生，一名在WHOI，另一名在布朗大学。PI还让本科生参与他们的研究项目，并计划继续这样做。Sievert博士目前参与WHOI科学和技术教育伙伴关系，Rich博士一直积极参与布朗环境研究员计划。

The PI's request funding to develop a Vent-Time Series Submersible Incubation Device (Vent-TSSID), a robotic micro-laboratory for routine application by the oceanographic community for measuring rates of relevant metabolic processes at hydrothermal vents at both in situ pressures and temperatures. Knowledge of the in situ metabolism of microorganisms carrying out CO2-fixation at deep-sea hydrothermal vents is very limited. Particularly lacking are studies measuring rates of autotrophic carbon fixation in situ, which is a measurement ultimately needed to constrain production in these ecosystems. Although recent data suggests that nitrate reduction either to N2 (denitrification) or to NH4 + (dissimilatory reduction of nitrate to ammonium, DNRA) might be responsible for a significant fraction of chemoautotrophic production, NO3 --reduction rates have never been measured in situ at hydrothermal vents. Broader Impacts: The Vent-TSSID developed from this proposed work will be made available to the research community for use at other deep sea vents. This grant would fund 2 graduate students, one at WHOI and the other at Brown University. The PIs also have involved undergraduates in their research programs and plan to continue to do so. Dr. Sievert currently participates in the WHOI Science and Technology Education Partnership, and Dr. Rich has been an active participant in the Brown Environmental Fellows program.