image: The Point Dume methane seep off the coast of Southern California, where methane-oxidizing microbes inhabit chimney-like structures. view more
Credit: Image credit: Schmidt Ocean Institute.
Researchers quantified the potential methane consumption rates of microbial communities living in carbonate rocks collected from seven geologically diverse deep-sea methane seeps, comparing the effects of microbial abundance, community composition, and mineralogical context on the consumption rates; the results showed that these understudied microbial communities may be ubiquitous in carbonate rocks at methane seeps throughout the ocean and have the potential to consume methane, a greenhouse gas, at rates up to 5,500 nanomoles per cubic centimeter per day.
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Article #2020-06857: "Carbonate-hosted microbial communities are prolific and pervasive methane oxidizers at geologically diverse marine methane seep sites," by Jeffrey J. Marlow et al.
MEDIA CONTACT: Jeffrey J. Marlow, Boston University, MA; tel: 626-319-8161; email: <jjmarlow@bu.edu>
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences