In:
Marine Biology, Springer Science and Business Media LLC, Vol. 170, No. 8 ( 2023-08)
Abstract:
Shallow-water hydrothermal vents are extreme environments characterized by high temperatures, low pH, and high CO 2 concentrations; therefore, they are considered as suitable laboratories for studying the effect of global changes on marine microbes. We hypothesized a direct effect of vents on prokaryotic community structure and functioning in the Panarea Island’s hydrothermal system. Sampling was conducted along a 9-station transect characterized by three active emission points. The water column was stratified with a thermocline at 25 m depth and a deep chlorophyll maximum between 50 and 100 m. Prokaryotic abundance ranged from 0.2 to 1.5 × 10 9 cells L −1 , prokaryotic carbon production from 2.4 to 75.4 ng C L −1 h −1 , and exoenzymatic activities degrading proteins, phosphorylated compounds, and polysaccharides were on the order of 4–28, 2–31 and 0.2–4.16 nM h −1 , respectively. While microbial abundance and production were shaped by the water column's physical structure, alkaline phosphatase and beta-glucosidase activities seemed to be enhanced by hydrothermal fluids. The 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing analysis identified a surface, a deep, and a vent-influenced microbial community. In terms of relative abundance members of the SAR11 group dominated the water column, alongside Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus in surface and bottom samples, respectively. Vent-influenced stations were characterized by the presence of Thiomicrorhabdus , a sulfur-oxidizer chemolithoautotroph. Overall, this study provides insights on the coupling between microbial community structure and the biogeochemical cycling of nutrients in low-pH conditions (CO 2 and H 2 S-based), thus addressing some of the opened questions about the response of microbes to acidification.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0025-3162
,
1432-1793
DOI:
10.1007/s00227-023-04247-8
Language:
English
Publisher:
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Publication Date:
2023
detail.hit.zdb_id:
1117-4
detail.hit.zdb_id:
1459413-4
SSG:
12
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