Effects of shallow-water hydrothermal venting on biological communities of coastal marine ecosystems of the western Pacific

Extreme abiotics drive sediment biocomplexity along pH gradients in a shallow submarine volcanic vent

Volcanic emissions in shallow vents influence the biogeochemistry of the sedimentary compartment, creating marked abiotic gradients. We assessed the spatial dynamics of the sediment compartment, as for the composition and origin of organic matter and associated prokaryotic community, in a volcanic shallow CO2 vent (Vulcano Island, Italy). Based on elemental (carbon, nitrogen content and their ratio) and isotopic composition (δ13C, δ15N and δ34S), the contribution of vent-derived organic matter (microbial mats) to sedimentary organic matter was high close to the vent, while the marine-derived end-members (seagrasses) contributed highly at increasing distance. Chemoautotrophic Campylobacterota and hyperthermophilic Achaea prevailed close to the vent, whilst phototrophic and chemoheterotrophic members dominated at increasing distance. Abiotic gradients generated by the volcanic CO2 vent drive relevant changes in the composition, origin and nutritional quality of sedimentary organic matter, and influence the structure and complexity of associated prokaryotic communities, with expected relevant impact on the entire food-web.

Shallow Hydrothermal Fluids Shape Microbial Dynamics at the Tagoro Submarine Volcano (Canary Islands, Spain)

Shallow underwater hydrothermal systems are often overlooked despite their potential contribution to marine diversity and biogeochemistry. Over a decade after its eruption, the Tagoro submarine volcano continues to emit heat, reduced compounds, and nutrients into shallow waters, serving as a model system for studying the effects of diffuse hydrothermal fluids on surface microbial communities. The impact on both phytoplankton and bacterial communities was examined through experimental manipulations mimicking dilution levels up to ~100 m from the primary crater of Tagoro. Chlorophyll a concentration doubled in the presence of hydrothermal products, with peak levels detected about a day earlier than in controls. Picoeukaryotes and Synechococcus cell abundances moderately increased, yet small eukaryotic phytoplankton (≤ 5 μm) predominated in the hydrothermally enriched bottles. Dinoflagellates, diatoms, small green algae and radiolarians particularly benefited from the hydrothermal inputs, along with phototrophic and chemoautotrophic bacteria. Our results indicate that hydrothermal products in shallow waters enhance primary production driven by phototrophic microbes, potentially triggering a secondary response associated with increased organic matter availability. Additionally, protistan grazing and parasitism emerged as key factors modulating local planktonic communities. Our findings highlight the role of shallow submarine hydrothermal systems in enhancing local primary production and element cycling.

Impact of shallow hydrothermal vent waters on monsoonal copepod distribution and abundance around active volcanic island off northeast Taiwan, West Pacific

Extreme oceanic environments such as shallow hydrothermal vents (HVs) have rarely been investigated with respect to their impact on the water column and its organisms, such as zooplankton. We collected mesozooplankton from the near shore shallow HV areas off northeast Taiwan during three distinct monsoonal periods in 2022. The results showed the occurrence of 99 copepod species belonging to 24 families and 49 genera from a one-year study. The results from similarity percentage (SIMPER) and indicator species analysis (IndVal) identified that top 5 species namely Temora turbinata, Oncaea venusta, Clausocalanus furcatus, Macrosetella gracilis, and Canthocalanus pauper showed variations in their abundance between HV and non-HV sites which contributed to 72.12 % dissimilarity with only four of the species with significantly higher contributions during the SW monsoon season. This distinction is explained by the fact that copepods were negatively affected by HV water. Furthermore, Temora turbinata (3530.7 ± 4967.83 ind. m-3), Calanus sinicus (70.86 ± 163.78 ind. m-3), and Paracalanus parvus (40.47 ± 85.67 ind. m-3) emerging as the dominant species with a clear seasonal succession pattern during the southwest monsoon, northeast-southwest monsoon transition, and northeast monsoon prevailing phase, respectively. The total abundance of copepod was significantly higher during the southwest monsoon than during the other two monsoonal periods (p < 0.01, one-way ANOVA). In contrast, the number of species and the richness index were significantly higher during the northeast-southwest and northeast monsoon than during the southwest monsoon period (p < 0.05, one-way ANOVA) indicating temporal succession in the copepod community.

Cumaceans (Crustacea, Peracarida) associated with shallow-water hydrothermal vents at Banderas Bay, Mexico

Background

Cumaceans mostly inhabit marine environments, where they play a crucial role in marine food webs and actively participate in the transfer between benthic and pelagic systems. Scientific interest in these crustaceans has been increasing, but is limited to certain geographic areas, which do not include extreme environments such as hydrothermal vents.

New information

Therefore, this study aimed to report the distribution of cumaceans in shallow-water hydrothermal vents at Banderas Bay and to identify the specimens present. Three sites were selected (20°44'54.7"N, 105°28'40.6"W; 20°44'54.8"N, 105°28'40.4"W; 20°44'54.9"N, 105°28'38.4"W) and each site was divided into three zones, based on sediment temperature. Through SCUBA diving, 27 sediment cores were collected. The samples were processed and identified in the laboratory. The families Bodotriidae T. Scott, 1901; Pseudocumatidae Sars, 1878; and Diastylidae Bate, 1856; were recorded and six morphospecies were identified. This work leaves a preliminary frame of reference for future studies related to the biodiversity of cumacean in Hydrothermal vents environments.

Characterization of an undocumented CO2 hydrothermal vent system in the Mediterranean Sea: Implications for ocean acidification forecasting

A previously undocumented shallow water hydrothermal field from Sicily (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy) is here described, based on a multidisciplinary investigation. The field, covering an area of nearly 8000 m2 and a depth from the surface to -5 m, was explored in June 2021 to characterise the main physico-chemical features of the water column, describe the bottom topography and features, and identify the main megabenthic and nektonic species. Twenty sites were investigated to characterise the carbonate system. Values of pH ranged between 7.84 and 8.04, ΩCa between 3.68 and 5.24 and ΩAr from 2.41 to 3.44. Geochemical analyses of hydrothermal gases revealed a dominance of CO2 (98.1%) together with small amounts of oxygen and reactive gases. Helium isotope ratios (R/Ra = 2.51) and δ13CCO2 suggest an inorganic origin of hydrothermal degassing of CO2 and the ascent of heat and deep-seated magmatic fluids to the surface. Visual census of fishes and megabenthos (mainly sessile organisms) allowed the identification of 64 species, four of which are protected by the SPA/BIO Protocol and two by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The macroalgae Halopteris scoparia and Jania rubens and the sponge Sarcotragus sp. were the dominant taxa in the area, while among fishes Coris julis and Chromis chromis were the most abundant species. This preliminary investigation of San Giorgio vent field suggests that the site could be of interest and suitable for future experimental studies of ocean acidification.

Novel Insights on the Bacterial and Archaeal Diversity of the Panarea Shallow-Water Hydrothermal Vent Field

Current knowledge of the microbial diversity of shallow-water hydrothermal vents is still limited. Recent evidence suggests that these peculiar and heterogeneous systems might host highly diversified microbial assemblages with novel or poorly characterized lineages. In the present work, we used 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding to provide novel insights into the diversity of the bacterial and archaeal assemblages in seawater and sediments of three shallow-water hydrothermal systems of Panarea Island (Tyrrhenian Sea). The three areas were characterized by hot, cold, or intermediate temperatures and related venting activities. Microbial biodiversity in seawater largely differed from the benthic one, both in α-diversity (i.e., richness of amplicon sequence variants-ASVs) and in prokaryotic assemblage composition. Furthermore, at the class level, the pelagic prokaryotic assemblages were very similar among sites, whereas the benthic microbial assemblages differed markedly, reflecting the distinct features of the hydrothermal activities at the three sites we investigated. Our results show that ongoing high-temperature emissions can influence prokaryotic α-diversity at the seafloor, increasing turnover (β-)diversity, and that the intermediate-temperature-venting spot that experienced a violent gas explosion 20 years ago now displays the highest benthic prokaryotic diversity. Overall, our results suggest that hydrothermal vent dynamics around Panarea Island can contribute to an increase in the local heterogeneity of physical-chemical conditions, especially at the seafloor, in turn boosting the overall microbial (γ-)diversity of this peculiar hydrothermal system.

Autochthony and isotopic niches of benthic fauna at shallow-water hydrothermal vents

The food webs of shallow-water hydrothermal vents are supported by chemosynthetic and photosynthetic autotrophs. However, the relative importance of these two basal resources for benthic consumers and its changes along the physicochemical gradient caused by vent plumes are unknown. We used stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes (i.e., δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) and Bayesian mixing models to quantify the dietary contribution of basal resources to the benthic fauna at the shallow-water vents around Kueishan Island, Taiwan. Our results indicated that the food chains and consumer production at the shallow-water vents were mainly driven by photoautotrophs (total algal contribution: 26–54%) and zooplankton (19–34%) rather than by chemosynthetic production (total contribution: 14–26%). Intraspecific differences in the trophic support and isotopic niche of the benthic consumers along the physicochemical gradient were also evident. For instance, sea anemone Anthopleura sp. exhibited the greatest reliance on chemosynthetic bacteria (26%) and photoautotrophs (66%) near the vent openings, but zooplankton was its main diet in regions 150–300 m (32–49%) and 300–700 m (32–78%) away from the vent mouths. The vent-induced physicochemical gradient structures not only the community but also the trophic support and isotopic niche of vent consumers.

Adaptation Potential of Three Psychrotolerant Aquatic Bacteria in the Pan-Okhotsk Region

The Pan-Okhotsk region, which is part of the western North Pacific Ocean, is famous for its active volcanoes, which are part of the Pacific Ring of Fire and that enrich the surrounding waters with essential chemicals. Therefore, this region, including the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan, is characterized by rich biota. Bacterioplankton plays a significant part in biological communities and is an indicator of ecosystem function. Analyzing the adaptability of three representatives of the microbiota of the Pan-Okhotsk region was the goal of our investigation. Marinomonas primoryensis KMM3633T (MP), Yersinia ruckeri KMM821 (YR), and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis 598 (YP) from the G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry were studied by means of genomic and bioinformatic methods. The list of membrane translocator proteins, metabolism pathways, and cold shock and antifreeze proteins that were revealed in the genome of MP characterized this bacterium as being adaptable to free living in marine conditions, even at winter temperatures. The genomic potential of YR and YP makes not only survival in the environment of the Pan-Okhotsk region but also pathogenesis in eukaryotic organisms possible. The data obtained will serve as a basis for further ecosystem monitoring with the help of microbiota research.

Ecological and Biotechnological Relevance of Mediterranean Hydrothermal Vent Systems

Marine hydrothermal systems are a special kind of extreme environments associated with submarine volcanic activity and characterized by harsh chemo-physical conditions, in terms of hot temperature, high concentrations of CO2 and H2S, and low pH. Such conditions strongly impact the living organisms, which have to develop adaptation strategies to survive. Hydrothermal systems have attracted the interest of researchers due to their enormous ecological and biotechnological relevance. From ecological perspective, these acidified habitats are useful natural laboratories to predict the effects of global environmental changes, such as ocean acidification at ecosystem level, through the observation of the marine organism responses to environmental extremes. In addition, hydrothermal vents are known as optimal sources for isolation of thermophilic and hyperthermophilic microbes, with biotechnological potential. This double aspect is the focus of this review, which aims at providing a picture of the ecological features of the main Mediterranean hydrothermal vents. The physiological responses, abundance, and distribution of biotic components are elucidated, by focusing on the necto-benthic fauna and prokaryotic communities recognized to possess pivotal role in the marine ecosystem dynamics and as indicator species. The scientific interest in hydrothermal vents will be also reviewed by pointing out their relevance as source of bioactive molecules.

Ubiquitous Occurrence of a Biogenic Sulfonate in Marine Environment

The biogenic sulfonate 2,3-dihydroxypropane-1-sulfonate (DHPS) is a vital metabolic currency between phytoplankton and bacteria in marine environments. However, the occurrence and quantification of DHPS in the marine environment has not been well-characterized. In this study, we used targeted metabolomics to determine the concentration of DHPS in the Pearl River Estuary, an in situ costal mesocosm ecosystem and a hydrothermal system off Kueishantao Island. The results suggested that DHPS occurred ubiquitously in the marine environment, even in shallow-sea hydrothermal systems, at a level comparable to that of dimethylsulfoniopropionate. The concentration of DHPS was closely related to phytoplankton community composition and was especially associated with the abundance of diatoms. Epsilonproteobacteria were considered as the most likely producers of DHPS in shallow-sea hydrothermal systems. This work expands current knowledge on sulfonates and presents a new viewpoint on the sulfur cycle in hydrothermal systems.

Limitations of cross- and multigenerational plasticity for marine invertebrates faced with global climate change

Although cross generation (CGP) and multigenerational (MGP) plasticity have been identified as mechanisms of acclimation to global change, the weight of evidence indicates that parental conditioning over generations is not a panacea to rescue stress sensitivity in offspring. For many species, there were no benefits of parental conditioning. Even when improved performance was observed, this waned over time within a generation or across generations and fitness declined. CGP and MGP studies identified resilient species with stress tolerant genotypes in wild populations and selected family lines. Several bivalves possess favourable stress tolerance and phenotypically plastic traits potentially associated with genetic adaptation to life in habitats where they routinely experience temperature and/or acidification stress. These traits will be important to help 'climate proof' shellfish ventures. Species that are naturally stress tolerant and those that naturally experience a broad range of environmental conditions are good candidates to provide insights into the physiological and molecular mechanisms involved in CGP and MGP. It is challenging to conduct ecologically relevant global change experiments over the long times commensurate with the pace of changing climate. As a result, many studies present stressors in a shock-type exposure at rates much faster than projected scenarios. With more gradual stressor introduction over longer experimental durations and in context with conditions species are currently acclimatized and/or adapted to, the outcomes for sensitive species might differ. We highlight the importance to understand primordial germ cell development and the timing of gametogenesis with respect to stressor exposure. Although multigenerational exposure to global change stressors currently appears limited as a universal tool to rescue species in the face of changing climate, natural proxies of future conditions (upwelling zones, CO₂ vents, naturally warm habitats) show that phenotypic adjustment and/or beneficial genetic selection is possible for some species, indicating complex plasticity-adaptation interactions.

Phylogenetic Diversity of Archaea in Shallow Hydrothermal Vents of Eolian Islands, Italy

Shallow hydrothermal systems (SHS) around the Eolian Islands (Italy), related to both active and extinct volcanism, are characterized by high temperatures, high concentrations of CO2 and H2S, and low pH, prohibitive for the majority of eukaryotes which are less tolerant to the extreme conditions than prokaryotes. Archaea and bacteria are the key elements for the functioning of these ecosystems, as they are involved in the transformation of inorganic compounds released from the vent emissions and are at the basis of the hydrothermal system food web. New extremophilic archaea (thermophilic, hyperthermophilic, acidophilic, alkalophilic, etc.) have been isolated from vents of Vulcano Island, exhibiting interesting features potentially valuable in biotechnology. Metagenomic analyses, which mainly involved molecular studies of the 16S rRNA gene, provided different insights into microbial composition associated with Eolian SHS. Archaeal community composition at Eolian vent sites results greatly affected by the geochemistry of the studied vents, principally by hypersaline conditions and declining temperatures. Archaeal community in sediments was mostly composed by hyperthermophilic members of Crenarchaeota (class Thermoprotei) and Euryarchaeota (Thermococci and Methanococci) at the highest temperature condition. Mesophilic Euryarchaeota (Halobacteria, Methanomicrobia, and Methanobacteria) increased with decreasing temperatures. Eolian SHS harbor a high diversity of largely unknown archaea, and the studied vents may be an important source of new isolates potentially useful for biotechnological purposes.

Living in future ocean acidification, physiological adaptive responses of the immune system of sea urchins resident at a CO2 vent system

The effects of ocean acidification, a major anthropogenic impact on marine life, have been mainly investigated in laboratory/mesocosm experiments. We used the CO₂ vents at Ischia as a natural laboratory to study the long-term effects of ocean acidification on the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus population resident in low-pH (7.8 ± 0.2) compared to that at two control sites (pH 8.02 ± 0.00; 8.02 ± 0.01). The novelty of the present study is the analysis of the sea urchin immune cells, the sentinels of environmental stress responses, by a wide-ranging approach, including cell morphology, biochemistry and proteomics. Immune cell proteomics showed that 311 proteins were differentially expressed in urchins across sites with a general shift towards antioxidant processes in the vent urchins. The vent urchin immune cells showed higher levels of total antioxidant capacity, up-regulation of phagosome and microsomal proteins, enzymes of ammonium metabolism, amino-acid degradation, and modulation of carbon metabolism proteins. Lipid-hydroperoxides and nitric oxide levels were not different in urchins from the different sites. No differences in the coelomic fluid pH, immune cell composition, animal respiration, nitrogen excretion and skeletal mineralogy were observed. Our results reveal the phenotypic plasticity of the immune system of sea urchins adapted to life at vent site, under conditions commensurate with near-future ocean acidification projections.

The Importance of Natural Acidified Systems in the Study of Ocean Acidification: What Have We Learned?

Human activity is generating an excess of atmospheric CO₂, resulting in what we know as ocean acidification, which produces changes in marine ecosystems. Until recently, most of the research in this area had been done under small-scale, laboratory conditions, using few variables, few species and few life cycle stages. These limitations raise questions about the reproducibility of the environment and about the importance of indirect effects and synergies in the final results of these experiments. One way to address these experimental problems is by conducting studies in situ, in natural areas where expected future pH conditions already occur, such as CO₂ vent systems. In the present work, we compile and discuss the latest research carried out in these natural laboratories, with the objective to summarize their advantages and disadvantages for research to improve these investigations so they can better help us understand how the oceans of the future will change.

Ferrous iron- and ammonium-rich diffuse vents support habitat-specific communities in a shallow hydrothermal field off the Basiluzzo Islet (Aeolian Volcanic Archipelago)

Ammonium- and Fe(II)-rich fluid flows, known from deep-sea hydrothermal systems, have been extensively studied in the last decades and are considered as sites with high microbial diversity and activity. Their shallow-submarine counterparts, despite their easier accessibility, have so far been under-investigated, and as a consequence, much less is known about microbial communities inhabiting these ecosystems. A field of shallow expulsion of hydrothermal fluids has been discovered at depths of 170-400 meters off the base of the Basiluzzo Islet (Aeolian Volcanic Archipelago, Southern Tyrrhenian Sea). This area consists predominantly of both actively diffusing and inactive 1-3 meters-high structures in the form of vertical pinnacles, steeples and mounds covered by a thick orange to brown crust deposits hosting rich benthic fauna. Integrated morphological, mineralogical, and geochemical analyses revealed that, above all, these crusts are formed by ferrihydrite-type Fe³⁺ oxyhydroxides. Two cruises in 2013 allowed us to monitor and sampled this novel ecosystem, certainly interesting in terms of shallow-water iron-rich site. The main objective of this work was to characterize the composition of extant communities of iron microbial mats in relation to the environmental setting and the observed patterns of macrofaunal colonization. We demonstrated that iron-rich deposits contain complex and stratified microbial communities with a high proportion of prokaryotes akin to ammonium- and iron-oxidizing chemoautotrophs, belonging to Thaumarchaeota, Nitrospira, and Zetaproteobacteria. Colonizers of iron-rich mounds, while composed of the common macrobenthic grazers, predators, filter-feeders, and tube-dwellers with no representatives of vent endemic fauna, differed from the surrounding populations. Thus, it is very likely that reduced electron donors (Fe²⁺ and NH₄⁺ ) are important energy sources in supporting primary production in microbial mats, which form a habitat-specific trophic base of the whole Basiluzzo hydrothermal ecosystem, including macrobenthic fauna.

Diversity of Total Bacterial Communities and Chemoautotrophic Populations in Sulfur-Rich Sediments of Shallow-Water Hydrothermal Vents off Kueishan Island, Taiwan

Shallow-water hydrothermal vents (HTVs) are an ecologically important habitat with a geographic origin similar to that of deep-sea HTVs. Studies on shallow-water HTVs have not only facilitated understanding of the influences of vents on local ecosystems but also helped to extend the knowledge on deep-sea vents. In this study, the diversity of bacterial communities in the sediments of shallow-water HTVs off Kueishan Island, Taiwan, was investigated by examining the 16S ribosomal RNA gene as well as key functional genes involved in chemoautotrophic carbon fixation (aclB, cbbL and cbbM). In the vent area, Sulfurovum and Sulfurimonas of Epsilonproteobacteria appeared to dominate the benthic bacterial community. Results of aclB gene analysis also suggested involvement of these bacteria in carbon fixation using the reductive tricarboxylic acid (rTCA) cycle. Analysis of the cbbM gene showed that Alphaproteobacterial members such as the purple non-sulfur bacteria were the major chemoautotrophic bacteria involving in carbon fixation via the Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) cycle. However, they only accounted for <2% of the total bacterial community in the vent area. These findings suggest that the rTCA cycle is the major chemoautotrophic carbon fixation pathway in sediments of the shallow-water HTVs off Kueishan Island.

Community Structure of Macrobiota and Environmental Parameters in Shallow Water Hydrothermal Vents off Kueishan Island, Taiwan

Hydrothermal vents represent a unique habitat in the marine ecosystem characterized with high water temperature and toxic acidic chemistry. Vents are distributed at depths ranging from a few meters to several thousand meters. The biological communities of shallow-water vents have, however, been insufficiently studied in most biogeographic areas. We attempted to characterize the macrofauna and macroflora community inhabiting the shallow-water vents off Kueishan Island, Taiwan, to identify the main abiotic factors shaping the community structure and the species distribution. We determined that positively buoyant vent fluid exhibits a more pronounced negative impact to species on the surface water than on the bottom layer. Species richness increased with horizontal distance from the vent, and continuing for a distance of 2000 m, indicating that the vent fluid may exert a negative impact over several kilometers. The community structure off Kueishan Island displayed numerous transitions along the horizontal gradient, which were broadly congruent with changes in environmental conditions. Combination of variation in Ca²⁺, Cl^-, temperature, pH and depth were revealed to show the strongest correlation with the change in benthic community structure, suggesting multiple factors of vent fluid were influencing the associated fauna. Only the vent crabs of Kueishan Island may have an obligated relationship with vents and inhabit the vent mouths because other fauna found nearby are opportunistic taxa that are more tolerant to acidic and toxic environments.

Bacterial abundance, processes and diversity responses to acidification at a coastal CO2 vent

Shallow CO2 vents are used as natural laboratories to study biological responses to ocean acidification, and so it is important to determine whether pH is the primary driver of bacterial processes and community composition, or whether other variables associated with vent water have a significant influence. Water from a CO2 vent (46 m, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand) was compared to reference water from an upstream control site, and also to control water acidified to the same pH as the vent water. After 84 h, both vent and acidified water exhibited higher potential bulk water and cell-specific glucosidase activity relative to control water, whereas cell-specific protease activities were similar. However, bulk vent water glucosidase activity was double that of the acidified water, as was bacterial secondary production in one experiment, suggesting that pH was not the only factor affecting carbohydrate hydrolysis. In addition, there were significant differences in bacterial community composition in the vent water relative to the control and acidified water after 84 h, including the presence of extremophiles which may influence carbohydrate degradation. This highlights the importance of characterizing microbial processes and community composition in CO2 vent emissions, to confirm that they represent robust analogues for the future acidified ocean.

Changes in prokaryotic community composition accompanying a pronounced temperature shift of a shallow marine thermal brine pool (Panarea Island, Italy)

Hot Lake is a recently described thermal brine pool off Panarea Island (Eolian Islands, Italy) where emitted fluids are highly saline and rich in CO2 and H2S. The prokaryotic community composition in surface sediment samples was analyzed by high-throughput Illumina sequencing targeting the V3 region of the 16S rRNA at two time points that differed mainly with respect to temperature conditions, high-temperature (94 °C, HT09) and low-temperature (28.5 °C, LT10). Bacterial richness and diversity were greater than those of Archaea under both temperature conditions. In contrast to Bacteria, diversity and evenness of Archaea greatly increased at LT10. While the phylogenetic analysis indicated the presence of members mostly affiliated with the same taxonomic groups, their relative abundances differed from HT09 to LT10, resulting in different bacterial and archaeal assemblages. Both HT09 and LT10 were dominated by members of the Epsilonproteobacteria. Within this subphylum, bacteria of the genus Sulfurimonas were most frequently detected at HT09, while Arcobacter prevailed at LT10. The abundance of other dominant taxonomic groups (≥1 % of Illumina reads) also correlated with temperature conditions. Members assigned to hyperthermophilic Euryarchaeota (Thermococci) or to thermophilic (Caldiserica) and thermoresistant (Firmicutes) bacterial taxa were dominant at HT09, while those related to non-thermophilic Bacteroidetes, Fusobacteria and Actinobacteria were dominant at LT10. Several, probably photosynthetic, members of the Alphaproteobacteria, Chlorobi, Cyanobacteria and Chloroflexi were recovered under both temperature conditions. The co-occurrence of photosynthetic and chemolithotrophic microorganisms represents a unique feature of shallow vents such as Hot Lake.

Prebiotic metabolism: production by mineral photoelectrochemistry of alpha-ketocarboxylic acids in the reductive tricarboxylic acid cycle

A reductive tricarboxylic acid (rTCA) cycle could have fixed carbon dioxide as biochemically useful energy-storage molecules on early Earth. Nonenzymatic chemical pathways for some steps of the rTCA cycle, however, such as the production of the alpha-ketocarboxylic acids pyruvate and alpha-ketoglutarate, remain a challenging problem for the viability of the proposed prebiotic cycle. As a class of compounds, alpha-ketocarboxylic acids have high free energies of formation that disfavor their production. We report herein the production of pyruvate from lactate and of alpha-ketoglutarate from pyruvate in the millimolar concentration range as promoted by ZnS mineral photoelectrochemistry. Pyruvate is produced from the photooxidation of lactate with 70% yield and a quantum efficiency of 0.009 at 15 degrees C across the wavelength range of 200-400 nm. The produced pyruvate undergoes photoreductive back reaction to lactate at a 30% yield and with a quantum efficiency of 0.0024. Pyruvate alternatively continues in photooxidative forward reaction to alpha-ketoglutarate with a 50% yield and a quantum efficiency of 0.0036. The remaining 20% of the carbon follows side reactions that produce isocitrate, glutarate, and succinate. Small amounts of acetate are also produced. The results of this study suggest that alpha-ketocarboxylic acids produced by mineral photoelectrochemistry could have participated in a viable enzyme-free cycle for carbon fixation in an environment where light, sulfide minerals, carbon dioxide, and other organic compounds interacted on prebiotic Earth.

Environmetrics to evaluate marine environment quality

The environmetric data analysis of analytical datasets from sediment and benthic organisms samples collected from different sampling sites along the coast of Black Sea near to City of Varna, Bulgaria has given some important indications about the bioindication properties of both type of samples. Various multivariate statistical methods like cluster analysis, principal components analysis, source apportioning modeling and partial least square (PLS) modeling were used in order to classify and interpret the parameters describing the chemical content of the coastal sediments (major components, heavy metals and total organic carbon) and benthic organisms (heavy metals). It has been shown that seriously polluted coastal zones are indicated in the same way by all benthic species, although some specificity could be detected for moderate polluted regions' e.g. polychaeta accumulated preferably Co, Cr, Cu, and Pb; crustacea - As, Cd, and Ni; mollusca - Zn. The identified latent factors responsible for the dataset structure are clearly indicated and apportioned with respect to their contribution to the total mass or total concentration of the species in the samples. The linear regression and PLS models indicated that a reliable forecast about the relation between naturally occurring chemical components and polluting species accumulated in the benthic organisms is possible.