Methane ice worms: Hesiocaeca methanicola colonizing fossil fuel reserves

Description of the new species Sigambra nkossa (Annelida, Pilargidae), with an analysis of the distribution patterns of polychaetes associated with artificially hydrocarbon-enriched bottoms

The monitoring of the N'Kossa offshore oil and gas fields in the Republic of Congo allowed us to assess the ecological traits of two polychaete species belonging to Sigambra (Annelida, Pilargidae). Sigambra parva occur in very low densities in all bottoms, except the most impacted, where it is totally absent; it is an undescribed species that reached >4,000 ind/m² in hydrocarbon-enriched sediments. Their distribution patterns are compared with those of other polychaetes, showing a range of affinities for hydrocarbon-enriched sediments in the N'Kossa region. Our results suggest that S. parva would be a representative of the original local fauna, while the species associated with artificial hydrocarbon-enriched sediments, including the other Sigambra, six more polychaetes and a bivalve, could be natively associated with natural hydrocarbon-enriched sediments, using the former as alternative habitats and as dispersal stepping stones. This ecological segregation, together with a careful morphological and morphometric analyses led us to describe the latter as a new species, namely Sigambra nkossa sp. nov. Moreover, morphometric analysis allowed us to discuss on the taxonomic robustness of the key morphological characters of S. nkossa sp. nov., as well as to emend the generic diagnosis of Sigambra to accommodate the new species.

Dominance of Sulfurospirillum in Metagenomes Associated with the Methane Ice Worm (Sirsoe methanicola)

Sirsoe methanicola, commonly known as the methane ice worm, is the only macrofaunal species known to inhabit the Gulf of Mexico methane hydrates. Little is known about this elusive marine polychaete that can colonize rich carbon and energy reserves. Metagenomic analysis of gut contents and worm fragments predicted diverse metabolic capabilities with the ability to utilize a range of nitrogen, sulfur, and organic carbon compounds through microbial taxa affiliated with Campylobacterales, Desulfobacterales, Enterobacterales, SAR324, Alphaproteobacteria, and Mycoplasmatales. Entomoplasmatales and Chitinivibrionales were additionally identified from extracted full-length 16S rRNA sequences, and read analysis identified 196 bacterial families. Overall, the microbial community appeared dominated by uncultured Sulfurospirillum, a taxon previously considered free-living rather than host-associated. Metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) classified as uncultured Sulfurospirillum predicted thiosulfate disproportionation and the reduction of tetrathionate, sulfate, sulfide/polysulfide, and nitrate. Microbial amino acid and vitamin B12 biosynthesis genes were identified in multiple MAGs, suggesting nutritional value to the host. Reads assigned to aerobic or anaerobic methanotrophic taxa were rare. IMPORTANCE Methane hydrates represent vast reserves of natural gas with roles in global carbon cycling and climate change. This study provided the first analysis of metagenomes associated with Sirsoe methanicola, the only polychaete species known to colonize methane hydrates. Previously unrecognized participation of Sulfurospirillum in a gut microbiome is provided, and the role of sulfur compound redox reactions within this community is highlighted. The comparative biology of S. methanicola is of general interest given research into the adverse effects of sulfide production in human gut microbiomes. In addition, taxonomic assignments are provided for nearly 200 bacterial families, expanding our knowledge of microbiomes in the deep sea.

Emergent Properties of Antiagglomerant Films Control Methane Transport: Implications for Hydrate Management

The relationship between collective properties and performance of antiagglomerants (AAs) used in hydrate management is handled using molecular dynamics simulations and enhanced sampling techniques. A thin film of AAs adsorbed at the interface between one flat sII methane hydrate substrate and a fluid hydrocarbon mixture containing methane and n-dodecane is studied. The AA considered is a surface-active compound with a complex hydrophilic head that contains both amide and tertiary ammonium cation groups and hydrophobic tails. At a sufficiently high AA density, the interplay between the surfactant layer and the liquid hydrocarbon excludes methane from the interfacial region. In this scenario, we combine metadynamics and umbrella sampling frameworks to study accurately the free-energy landscape and the equilibrium rates associated with the transport of one methane molecule across the AA film. We observe that the local configurational changes of the liquid hydrocarbon packed within the AA film are associated with high free-energy barriers for methane transport. The time scales estimated for the transport of methane across the AA film can be, in some cases, comparable to those reported in the literature for the growth of hydrates, suggesting that one possible mechanism by which AAs delay the formation of hydrate plugs could be providing a barrier to methane transport. Considering the interplay between the structural design and collective properties of AAs might be of relevance to improve their performance in flow assurance.

Formation of methane clathrates in carbon nanotubes: a molecular dynamics study

In this study, we investigated the possible formation of methane clathrates in CNTs with different sizes.

Phylogeny of Hesionidae (Aciculata, Annelida), with four new species from deep-sea eastern Pacific methane seeps, and resolution of the affinity of Hesiolyra

Hesionidae Grube, 1850 currently comprises over 175 species in 28 genera, placed in several subfamilies. Discoveries in recent years have largely been of deep-sea taxa. Here we describe a further four new hesionid species, mainly from methane ‘cold’ seeps at around 1000–1800 m depths off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and new record of another species. Several of these taxa also occur at methane seeps in the Guaymas Basis (Mexico) and off the USA west coast (California and Oregon). The phylogenetic relationships within Hesionidae are reassessed via maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood analyses of DNA sequences from nuclear (18S rRNA and 28SrRNA) and mitochondrial (16SrRNA and Cytochrome c oxidase I) loci for the new samples. On the basis of these results, we refer one of the new species to Gyptis Marion & Bobretzky in Marion, 1874, one to Neogyptis Pleijel, Rouse, Sundkvist & Nygren, 2012, and two to Sirsoe Pleijel, 1998. The new species Gyptis robertscrippsi n. sp., Neogyptis jeffruoccoi n. sp., Sirsoe dalailamai n. sp. and Sirsoe munki n. sp. We refer to a collection of individuals from seeps ranging from Oregon to Costa Rica as Amphiduropsis cf. axialensis (Blake & Hilbig, 1990), even though this species was described from hydrothermal vents off Oregon. Neogyptis jeffruoccoi n. sp. was generally found living inside the solemyid clam Acharax johnsoni (Dall, 1891). The position of Hesiolyra bergi Blake, 1985 is resolved on the basis of newly-collected specimens from near the type locality and, as a result, Hesiolyrinae Pleijel, 1998 is synonymized with Gyptini Pleijel, 1998 (and Gyptinae Pleijel, 1998). http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9C0E88EE-34F8-4F25-9EC8-91797618AC86

Towards life in hydrocarbons: aggregation behaviour of “reverse” surfactants in cyclohexane

Unconventional life forms based on membranes able to self-assemble in hydrocarbons instead of water might exist in the hydrocarbon-rich environment of Titan. We present evidence of the self-assembly of reverse surfactants to yield typical micelles in a hydrocarbon solvent.

Mercury concentrations, speciation, and isotopic composition in sediment from a cold seep in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Total-Hg, monomethylmercury (MMHg), and mercury isotopic composition was determined in sediment from a cold seep and background sites in the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGoM). Total-Hg averaged 50 ng/g (n=28), ranged from 31 to 67 ng/g, and decreased with depth (0-15 cm). MMHg averaged 0.91 ng/g (n=18), and ranged from 0.2 to 1.9 ng/g. There was no significant difference for total-Hg or MMHg between cold seep and background sites. δ(202)Hg ranged from -0.5 to -0.8‰ and becomes more negative with depth (r=0.989). Mass independent fractionation (Δ(199)Hg) was small but consistently positive (0.04-0.12‰); there was no difference between cold seeps (Δ(199)Hg = +0.09±0.03; n=7, 1SD) and background sites (Δ(199)Hg=+0.07±0.02; n=5, 1SD). This suggests that releases of hydrocarbons at the cold seep do not significantly alter Hg levels, and that cold seeps are likely not major sources of MMHg to nGoM waters.

Using stable isotope compositions of animal tissues to infer trophic interactions in Gulf of Mexico lower slope seep communities

We analyzed the tissue carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur stable isotope contents of macrofaunal communities associated with vestimentiferan tubeworms and bathymodiolin mussels from the Gulf of Mexico lower continental slope (970-2800 m). Shrimp in the genus Alvinocaris associated with vestimentiferans from shallow (530 m) and deep (1400-2800 m) sites were used to test the hypothesis that seep animals derive a greater proportion of their nutrition from seeps (i.e. a lower proportion from the surface) at greater depths. To account for spatial variability in the inorganic source pool, we used the differences between the mean tissue δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N of the shrimp in each collection and the mean δ ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values of the vestimentiferans from the same collection, since vestimentiferans are functionally autotrophic and serve as a baseline for environmental isotopic variation. There was a significant negative relationship between this difference and depth for both δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N (p=0.02 and 0.007, respectively), which supports the hypothesis of higher dependence on seep nutrition with depth. The small polychaete worm Protomystides sp. was hypothesized to be a blood parasite of the vestimentiferan Escarpialaminata. There was a highly significant linear relationship between the δ¹³C values of Protomystides sp. and the E. laminata individuals to which they were attached across all collections (p < 0.001) and within a single collection (p = 0.01), although this relationship was not significant for δ¹⁵N and δ³⁴S. We made several other qualitative inferences with respect to the feeding biology of the taxa occurring in these lower slope seeps, some of which have not been described prior to this study.

Microsecond simulations of spontaneous methane hydrate nucleation and growth

Despite the industrial implications and worldwide abundance of gas hydrates, the formation mechanism of these compounds remains poorly understood. We report direct molecular dynamics simulations of the spontaneous nucleation and growth of methane hydrate. The multiple-microsecond trajectories offer detailed insight into the process of hydrate nucleation. Cooperative organization is observed to lead to methane adsorption onto planar faces of water and the fluctuating formation and dissociation of early hydrate cages. The early cages are mostly face-sharing partial small cages, favoring structure II; however, larger cages subsequently appear as a result of steric constraints and thermodynamic preference for the structure I phase. The resulting structure after nucleation and growth is a combination of the two dominant types of hydrate crystals (structure I and structure II), which are linked by uncommon 5(12)6(3) cages that facilitate structure coexistence without an energetically unfavorable interface.

Macro-ecology of Gulf of Mexico cold seeps

Shortly after the discovery of chemosynthetic ecosystems at deep-sea hydrothermal vents, similar ecosystems were found at cold seeps in the Gulf of Mexico. Over the past two decades, these sites have become model systems for understanding the physiology of the symbiont-containing megafauna and the ecology of seep communities worldwide. Symbiont-containing bi-valves and siboglinid polychaetes dominate the communities, including five bathymodiolin mussel species and six vestimentiferan (siboglinid polychaete) species in the Gulf of Mexico. The mussels include the first described examples of methanotrophic symbiosis and dual methanotrophic/thiotrophic symbiosis. Studies with the vestimentiferans have demonstrated their potential for extreme longevity and their ability to use posterior structures for subsurface exchange of dissolved metabolites. Ecological investigations have demonstrated that the vestimentiferans function as ecosystem engineers and identified a community succession sequence from a specialized high-biomass endemic community to a low-biomass community of background fauna over the life of a hydrocarbon seep site.

Thermodynamic stability of hydrogen clathrates

The stability of the recently characterized type II hydrogen clathrate [Mao, W. L., Mao, H.-K., Goncharov, A. F., Struzhkin, V. V., Guo, Q., et al. (2002) Science 297, 2247-2249] with respect to hydrogen occupancy is examined with a statistical mechanical model in conjunction with first-principles quantum chemistry calculations. It is found that the stability of the clathrate is mainly caused by dispersive interactions between H2 molecules and the water forming the cage walls. Theoretical analysis shows that both individual hydrogen molecules and nH2 guest clusters undergo essentially free rotations inside the clathrate cages. Calculations at the experimental conditions--2,000 bar (1 bar = 100 kPa) and 250 K confirm multiple occupancy of the clathrate cages with average occupations of 2.00 and 3.96 H2 molecules per D-5(12) (small) and H-5(12)6(4) (large) cage, respectively. The H2-H2O interactions also are responsible for the experimentally observed softening of the H[bond]H stretching modes. The clathrate is found to be thermodynamically stable at 25 bar and 150 K.

The search for life on Europa: limiting environmental factors, potential habitats, and Earth analogues

The putative ocean of Europa has focused considerable attention on the potential habitats for life on Europa. By generally clement Earth standards, these Europan habitats are likely to be extreme environments. The objectives of this paper were to examine: (1) the limits for biological activity on Earth with respect to temperature, salinity, acidity, desiccation, radiation, pressure, and time; (2) potential habitats for life on Europa; and (3) Earth analogues and their limitations for Europa. Based on empirical evidence, the limits for biological activity on Earth are: (1) the temperature range is from 253 to 394 K; (2) the salinity range is a(H2O) = 0.6-1.0; (3) the desiccation range is from 60% to 100% relative humidity; (4) the acidity range is from pH 0 to 13; (5) microbes such as Deinococcus are roughly 4,000 times more resistant to ionizing radiation than humans; (6) the range for hydrostatic pressure is from 0 to 1,100 bars; and (7) the maximum time for organisms to survive in the dormant state may be as long as 250 million years. The potential habitats for life on Europa are the ice layer, the brine ocean, and the seafloor environment. The dual stresses of lethal radiation and low temperatures on or near the icy surface of Europa preclude the possibility of biological activity anywhere near the surface. Only at the base of the ice layer could one expect to find the suitable temperatures and liquid water that are necessary for life. An ice layer turnover time of 10 million years is probably rapid enough for preserving in the surface ice layers dormant life forms originating from the ocean. Model simulations demonstrate that hypothetical oceans could exist on Europa that are too cold for biological activity (T < 253 K). These simulations also demonstrate that salinities are high, which would restrict life to extreme halophiles. An acidic ocean (if present) could also potentially limit life. Pressure, per se, is unlikely to directly limit life on Europa. But indirectly, pressure plays an important role in controlling the chemical environments for life. Deep ocean basins such as the Mariana Trench are good analogues for the cold, high-pressure ocean of Europa. Many of the best terrestrial analogues for potential Europan habitats are in the Arctic and Antarctica. The six factors likely to be most important in defining the environments for life on Europa and the focus for future work are liquid water, energy, nutrients, low temperatures, salinity, and high pressures.

Decreased stability of methane hydrates in marine sediments owing to phase-boundary roughness

Below water depths of about 300 metres, pressure and temperature conditions cause methane to form ice-like crystals of methane hydrate. Marine deposits of methane hydrate are estimated to be large, amassing about 10,000 gigatonnes of carbon, and are thought to be important to global change and seafloor stability, as well as representing a potentially exploitable energy resource. The extent of these deposits can usually be inferred from seismic imaging, in which the base of the methane hydrate stability zone is frequently identifiable as a smooth reflector that runs parallel to the sea floor. Here, using high-resolution seismic sections of seafloor sediments in the Cascadia margin off the coast of Vancouver Island, Canada, we observe lateral variations in the base of the hydrate stability zone, including gas-rich vertical intrusions into the hydrate stability zone. We suggest that these vertical intrusions are associated with upward flow of warmer fluids. Therefore, where seafloor fluid expulsion and methane hydrate deposits coincide, the base of the hydrate stability zone might exhibit significant roughness and increased surface area. Increased area implies that significantly more methane hydrate lies close to being unstable and hence closer to dissociation in the event of a lowering of pressure due to sea-level fall.