Sources and Fluxes of Organic Carbon and Energy to Microorganisms in Global Marine Sediments.

ABSTRACT: Marine sediments comprise one of the largest microbial habitats and organic carbon sinks on the planet. However, it is unclear how variations in sediment physicochemical properties impact microorganisms on a global scale. Here we investigate patterns in the distribution of microbial cells, organic carbon, and the amounts of power used by microorganisms in global sediments. Our results show that sediment on continental shelves and margins is predominantly anoxic and contains cells whose power utilization decreases with sediment depth and age. Sediment in abyssal zones contains microbes that use low amounts of power on a per cell basis, across large gradients in sediment depth and age. We find that trends in cell abundance, POC storage and degradation, and microbial power utilization are mai

SUBMITTER: Bradley JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9301249 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature