** Progress in Earth and Planetary Science is the official journal of the Japan Geoscience Union, published in collaboration with its society members.
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Research
Biogeosciences
202408202408
Electrochemical survey of electroactive microbial populations in deep-sea hydrothermal fields
Yamamoto M, Kawada Y, Takaki Y, Shimoniida K, Shitara M, Tanizaki A, Kashima H, Hirai M, Takaya Y, Nozaki T, Kasaya T, Takai KMasahiro Yamamoto M, Yoshifumi Kawada, Yoshihiro Takaki, Kosuke Shimoniida, Mariko Shitara, Akiko Tanizaki, Hiroyuki Kashima, Miho Hirai, Yutaro Takaya, Tatsuo Nozaki, Takafumi Kasaya, Ken Takai
Electric field, Self-potential, Electroactive microorganisms, Electrosynthesis, Electrotroph, Microbial community composition
Summary of this study: We measured electric fields and collected rock samples in deep-sea hydrothermal fields using an ROV. The electrical properties of the seafloor above geobatteries influence the electroactive microbial populations on the rock surface.
Electric discharge in deep-sea hydrothermal fields leads us to expect the existence of electroactive microbial ecosystems in the environments. Electrochemical properties such as electric field distribution on the seafloor and electrical conductivity of the rock can be useful indicators of searching electroactive microbial community in natural environments. We performed electric field measurements in deep-sea hydrothermal fields and collected rock samples by a remotely operative vehicle (ROV) operation. Several spots on the seafloor with strong electric fields were detected, which included both active hydrothermal vent areas and inactive sulfide deposits far from the vents. The electrical conductivity of the rock samples was correlated with the copper and iron sulfide content. Microbial community compositions of the rock samples were characterized by small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene amplicon sequencing analysis. The abundance of several microbial components, which are highly related to electroactive microorganisms such as Geobacteraceae and Thiomicrorhabdus, was affected by the electrical properties of rock samples. The results suggested that electrochemical properties on the seafloor would be related to the abundance of possible electroactive microbial populations, and that the electrochemical survey may be a powerful tool for exploring electroactive ecosystems.
