Methane Cycling and Methanotrophic Bacteria in Base Mine Lake, a Model End-Pit Lake in the Alberta Oilsands ...

• Main Author: Albakistani, Emad
• Format: Master Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Graduate Studies 2018
• Subjects: Microbiology; FOS Biological sciences; Environmental Sciences; Fort McMurray
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.11575/prism/32877; https://prism.ucalgary.ca/handle/1880/107699

We studied methanotrophic bacteria over three years (2015 - 2018) in Base Mine Lake, Fort McMurray, Canada. The lake represents the first large scale demonstration of end-pit lake technology in the Alberta oilsands. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and measurement of methanotrophic rates were applied to evaluate the effect of seasonal changes on methanotrophic diversity and activity, and to understand the biogeochemical cycling of methane and oxygen. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence relative abundance, the predominantly detected methanotrophic genera were Methylobacter/Crenothrix in the winter and Methylocaldum in the summer. Methanotrophs were most abundant in winter throughout the water column, and in summer at the bottom of the lake near the fluid fine tailings interface. Potential methanotrophic rates decreased over three years from 2015-2018. ...