Electrogenic sulfur oxidation in a northern saltmarsh (St. Lawrence Estuary, Canada)
Measurements of porewater O 2 , pH, and H 2 S microprofiles in intact sediment cores collected in a northern saltmarsh in the St. Lawrence Estuary (Quebec, Canada) revealed the occurrence of electrogenic sulfur oxidation (e-SOx) by filamentous “cable” bacteria in submerged marsh pond sediments in th...
| Published in: | Canadian Journal of Microbiology |
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| Main Authors: | , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Canadian Science Publishing
2016
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjm-2015-0748 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/full-xml/10.1139/cjm-2015-0748 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/cjm-2015-0748 |
| Summary: | Measurements of porewater O 2 , pH, and H 2 S microprofiles in intact sediment cores collected in a northern saltmarsh in the St. Lawrence Estuary (Quebec, Canada) revealed the occurrence of electrogenic sulfur oxidation (e-SOx) by filamentous “cable” bacteria in submerged marsh pond sediments in the high marsh. In summer, the geochemical fingerprint of e-SOx was apparent in intact cores, while in fall, cable bacteria were detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization and the characteristic geochemical signature of e-SOx was observed only upon prolonged incubation. In exposed, unvegetated creek bank sediments sampled in the low marsh in summer, cable bacteria developed only in repacked cores of sieved (500 μm), homogenized sediments. These results suggest that e-SOx is suppressed by the activity of macrofauna in exposed, unvegetated marsh sediments. A reduced abundance of benthic invertebrates may promote e-SOx development in marsh ponds, which are dominant features of subarctic saltmarshes as in the St. Lawrence Estuary. |
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