Collaborative research: Regulation and dynamics of microbial communities and biogeochemical cycling in hydrothermally-influenced habitats in the Gulf of California

自从大约40年前发现热液生态系统以来，它们一直吸引着科学家和普通公众的想象力。热液栖息地的特点是极端的温度和pH，低氧浓度和高浓度的有毒金属。尽管如此，这些生态系统支持着丰富多彩的微生物群落，实现了高速率的生物地球化学循环。该项目支持史无前例的研究，以确定化学制度对加利福尼亚州海湾地区微生物和病毒群落组成、多样性和活动的影响，这些地区受到热液作用和不同底水氧气水平的不同影响。该项目为本科生和研究生提供培训机会。结果通过讲座、出版物和公共信息库的数据共享进行交流。这件作品将通过海洋发现营和不同中学生俱乐部分享，在佐治亚州艺术博物馆展出，以及与BBC星球地球III-海洋团队合作。通过这些累积的努力，该项目将在教育和培养海洋知识以及在公众中促进海洋宣传方面形成强大的遗产。加利福尼亚州海湾是一个热液流体流经并在排放到深水之前改变沉积物的系统。在沉积物中，流体通过碳负荷和电子受体可用性的变化来调节生物动力学。在水柱中，无机和有机能源被注入低氧的深海，创造出动态的化学生态位。该项目研究了在沉积物以及瓜伊马斯和佩斯卡德罗盆地的水柱中进行关键生物地球化学反应的微生物和病毒群落是如何形成和调节的。这项研究整合了生物地球化学、基因组学、微生物活性和微生物学(~单细胞活性)的数据流，以获得对调控机制和动态的前所未有的洞察。该项目包括2022年在R/V亚特兰蒂斯号上与阿尔文号深潜器进行探险期间在实验室和海上进行的实验和观察。主要的研究课题包括：(1)不同的地化状态是否选择了代谢可塑性微生物种群？(2)不同的微生物是否在特定的地化条件下变得活跃，或者相同的微生物是否适应不断变化的地化条件？(3)病毒在塑造高动态热液生境中的微生物种群中所起的作用是什么？该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Hydrothermal ecosystems have captivated the imagination of scientists and the general public since their discovery ~40 years ago. Hydrothermal habitats are characterized by extremes in temperature and pH, low oxygen concentrations, and high concentrations of toxic metals. Despite this, these ecosystems support rich and abundant microbial communities that achieve high rates of biogeochemical cycling. This project supports unprecedented studies to identify the impact of chemical regimes on microbial and viral community composition, diversity, and activity along areas in the Gulf of California differently influenced by hydrothermalism and varying bottom water oxygen levels. The project provides training opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students. Results are communicated through talks and lectures, publications, and data sharing through public repositories. The work will be shared through Ocean Discovery Camp and Clubs for diverse middle school students, displays at the Georgia Museum of Art, and a collaboration with the BBC Planet Earth III – Oceans team. Through these cumulative efforts, the project will forge a strong legacy in education and in fostering ocean literacy and promoting ocean advocacy in the general public.The Gulf of California is a system where hydrothermal fluids flow through and alter sediment prior to discharge into deep waters. In sediments, fluid flow modulates biological dynamics through changes in carbon loading and electron accepter availability. In the water column, inorganic and organic energy sources are injected into hypoxic deep waters, creating dynamic chemical niches. This project studies how gradients in geochemistry shape and modulate the microbial and viral communities that carry out key biogeochemical reactions in sediments and in the water column of Guaymas and Pescadero Basins. The research integrates data streams from biogeochemistry, genomics, microbial activity, and microbiology (~single-cell activity) to achieve unprecedented insight into regulatory mechanisms and dynamics. The project includes experiments and observations in the laboratory and at sea during an expedition on the R/V Atlantis with the deep submergence vehicle ALVIN in 2022. Key topics for investigation include: (1) Do variations in geochemical regimes select for metabolically plastic microbial populations? (2) Do different microbes become active under specific geochemical conditions or do the same microbes adapt to changing geochemical conditions? (3) What is the role of viruses in shaping the microbial populations present in highly dynamic hydrothermal habitats?This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.