Elevated heterotrophic activity in Guaymas Basin hydrothermal plumes influences deep-sea carbon cycling.

ABSTRACT: Deep-sea hydrothermal plumes are characterized by chemoautotrophic production fueled by the oxidation of reduced inorganic substrates. Recently, organic carbon cycling was proposed, but the metabolic fate of organic carbon is unconstrained. Here, we investigate organic carbon metabolisms in and around a hydrothermal plume to constrain the impacts of hydrothermal vents on deep-sea carbon cycling. Acetate and methanol are detected throughout the water column and are rapidly metabolized in Guaymas Basin waters. Heterotrophic production, up to 7.69 µg C L^-1 d^-1, greatly exceeds chemoautotrophic production. Relative to shallow water, elevated microbial activity coincides with a distinct plume signature, indicating that microbial communities respond quickly to hydrothermal

SUBMITTER: Montgomery A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12120059 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature