1
|
Ota Y, Iguchi A, Nishijima M, Mukai R, Suzumura M, Yoshioka H, Suzuki A, Tsukasaki A, Aoyagi T, Hori T. Methane diffusion affects characteristics of benthic communities in and around microbial mat-covered sediments in the northeastern Japan sea. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 349:140964. [PMID: 38128741 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
We investigated relationships between features of benthic macrofaunal communities and geochemical parameters in and around microbial mat-covered sediments associated with a methane seepage on Sakata Knoll in the eastern Japan Sea. A depression on top of the knoll corresponds to a gas-hydrate-bearing area with seepage of methane-rich fluid, and microbial mats cover the seafloor sediments. Sediment cores were collected at three sites for this study: one within a microbial mat, a second a few meters outside of the microbial mat, and a third from a reference site outside the gas-hydrate-bearing areas. Morphological analysis showed that the site inside the microbial mat had higher macrofaunal density and biomass compared with the other sites. 18S rRNA gene analysis showed that annelids were dominant in the surface sediment inside the microbial mat with the possible occurrence of microbial anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM), whereas in the surface sediments outside the microbial mat and at the reference site the predominant species belonged to phylum Cercozoa. Morphological analysis also showed that the surface sediment inside the microbial mat noticeably favored annelids, with dorvilleid Ophryotrocha sp. and ampharetid Neosabellides sp. identified as major constituents. Statistical analysis showed that sulfidic sediment conditions with concentrations of H2S up to 121 μM resulting from AOM likely resulted in the predominance of annelids with tolerance to sulfide. Both the 18S rRNA genes and macrofaunal characteristics showed that benthic biodiversity among the three sites was greatest outside the microbial mat. The site outside the microbial mat may represent geochemical transition conditions, including a lower rate of upward methane gas-flow compared with the site inside the microbial mat. The high biodiversity there might result from the presence of species specifically suited to the transition zone as well as species also found in photosynthesis-based communities of the background environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Ota
- Environmental Management Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Onogawa 16-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8561, Japan.
| | - Akira Iguchi
- Geological Survey of Japan, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Higashi 1-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8567, Japan; Research Laboratory on Environmentally-Conscious Developments and Technologies [E-code], National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, 305-8567, Japan
| | - Miyuki Nishijima
- Geological Survey of Japan, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Higashi 1-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8567, Japan
| | - Ryo Mukai
- Marine Biological Research Institute of Japan Co., Ltd, Yutaka-cho 4-3-16, Shinagawa, Tokyo, 142-0042, Japan
| | - Masahiro Suzumura
- Environmental Management Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Onogawa 16-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8561, Japan
| | - Hideyoshi Yoshioka
- Geological Survey of Japan, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Higashi 1-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8567, Japan
| | - Atsushi Suzuki
- Geological Survey of Japan, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Higashi 1-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8567, Japan; Research Laboratory on Environmentally-Conscious Developments and Technologies [E-code], National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, 305-8567, Japan
| | - Ayumi Tsukasaki
- Environmental Management Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Onogawa 16-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8561, Japan
| | - Tomo Aoyagi
- Environmental Management Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Onogawa 16-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8561, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Hori
- Environmental Management Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Onogawa 16-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8561, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Pereira OS, Gonzalez J, Mendoza G, Le J, McNeill M, Ontiveros J, Lee RW, Rouse GW, Cortés J, Levin LA. Does substrate matter in the deep sea? A comparison of bone, wood, and carbonate rock colonizers. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0271635. [PMID: 35857748 PMCID: PMC9299329 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Continental margins host methane seeps, animal falls and wood falls, with chemosynthetic communities that may share or exchange species. The goal of this study was to examine the existence and nature of linkages among chemosynthesis-based ecosystems by deploying organic fall mimics (bone and wood) alongside defaunated carbonate rocks within high and lesser levels of seepage activity for 7.4 years. We compared community composition, density, and trophic structure of invertebrates on these hard substrates at active methane seepage and transition (less seepage) sites at Mound 12 at ~1,000 m depth, a methane seep off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. At transition sites, the community composition on wood and bone was characteristic of natural wood- and whale-fall community composition, which rely on decay of the organic substrates. However, at active sites, seepage activity modified the relationship between fauna and substrate, seepage activity had a stronger effect in defining and homogenizing these communities and they depend less on organic decay. In contrast to community structure, macrofaunal trophic niche overlap between substrates, based on standard ellipse areas, was greater at transition sites than at active sites, except between rock and wood. Our observations suggest that whale- and wood-fall substrates can function as stepping stones for seep fauna even at later successional stages, providing hard substrate for attachment and chemosynthetic food.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olívia S. Pereira
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Jennifer Gonzalez
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Guillermo Mendoza
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Jennifer Le
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Madison McNeill
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, United States of America
- College of Health and Sciences, East Central University, Ada, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Jorge Ontiveros
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, United States of America
- Instituto Tecnológico de Tijuana, Tijuana, Mexico
| | - Raymond W. Lee
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
| | - Greg W. Rouse
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Jorge Cortés
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Lisa A. Levin
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|