Geochemistry, faunal composition and trophic structure in reducing sediments on the southwest South Georgia margin
Despite a number of studies in areas of focused methane seepage, the extent of transitional sediments of more diffuse methane seepage, and their influence upon biological communities is poorly understood. We investigated an area of reducing sediments with elevated levels of methane on the South Geor...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:8e4edc89735241019ee61ddebba069fd 2023-05-15T13:51:00+02:00 Geochemistry, faunal composition and trophic structure in reducing sediments on the southwest South Georgia margin James B. Bell Alfred Aquilina Clare Woulds Adrian G. Glover Crispin T. S. Little William D. K. Reid Laura E. Hepburn Jason Newton Rachel A. Mills 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.160284 https://doaj.org/article/8e4edc89735241019ee61ddebba069fd EN eng The Royal Society https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.160284 https://doaj.org/toc/2054-5703 2054-5703 doi:10.1098/rsos.160284 https://doaj.org/article/8e4edc89735241019ee61ddebba069fd Royal Society Open Science, Vol 3, Iss 9 (2016) methane southern ocean ecology assemblage composition trophodynamics authigenic carbonates Science Q article 2016 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.160284 2022-12-31T13:59:21Z Despite a number of studies in areas of focused methane seepage, the extent of transitional sediments of more diffuse methane seepage, and their influence upon biological communities is poorly understood. We investigated an area of reducing sediments with elevated levels of methane on the South Georgia margin around 250 m depth and report data from a series of geochemical and biological analyses. Here, the geochemical signatures were consistent with weak methane seepage and the role of sub-surface methane consumption was clearly very important, preventing gas emissions into bottom waters. As a result, the contribution of methane-derived carbon to the microbial and metazoan food webs was very limited, although sulfur isotopic signatures indicated a wider range of dietary contributions than was apparent from carbon isotope ratios. Macrofaunal assemblages had high dominance and were indicative of reducing sediments, with many taxa common to other similar environments and no seep-endemic fauna, indicating transitional assemblages. Also similar to other cold seep areas, there were samples of authigenic carbonate, but rather than occurring as pavements or sedimentary concretions, these carbonates were restricted to patches on the shells of Axinulus antarcticus (Bivalvia, Thyasiridae), which is suggestive of microbe–metazoan interactions. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* antarcticus Southern Ocean Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Southern Ocean Royal Society Open Science 3 9 160284 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
methane southern ocean ecology assemblage composition trophodynamics authigenic carbonates Science Q |
spellingShingle |
methane southern ocean ecology assemblage composition trophodynamics authigenic carbonates Science Q James B. Bell Alfred Aquilina Clare Woulds Adrian G. Glover Crispin T. S. Little William D. K. Reid Laura E. Hepburn Jason Newton Rachel A. Mills Geochemistry, faunal composition and trophic structure in reducing sediments on the southwest South Georgia margin |
topic_facet |
methane southern ocean ecology assemblage composition trophodynamics authigenic carbonates Science Q |
description |
Despite a number of studies in areas of focused methane seepage, the extent of transitional sediments of more diffuse methane seepage, and their influence upon biological communities is poorly understood. We investigated an area of reducing sediments with elevated levels of methane on the South Georgia margin around 250 m depth and report data from a series of geochemical and biological analyses. Here, the geochemical signatures were consistent with weak methane seepage and the role of sub-surface methane consumption was clearly very important, preventing gas emissions into bottom waters. As a result, the contribution of methane-derived carbon to the microbial and metazoan food webs was very limited, although sulfur isotopic signatures indicated a wider range of dietary contributions than was apparent from carbon isotope ratios. Macrofaunal assemblages had high dominance and were indicative of reducing sediments, with many taxa common to other similar environments and no seep-endemic fauna, indicating transitional assemblages. Also similar to other cold seep areas, there were samples of authigenic carbonate, but rather than occurring as pavements or sedimentary concretions, these carbonates were restricted to patches on the shells of Axinulus antarcticus (Bivalvia, Thyasiridae), which is suggestive of microbe–metazoan interactions. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
James B. Bell Alfred Aquilina Clare Woulds Adrian G. Glover Crispin T. S. Little William D. K. Reid Laura E. Hepburn Jason Newton Rachel A. Mills |
author_facet |
James B. Bell Alfred Aquilina Clare Woulds Adrian G. Glover Crispin T. S. Little William D. K. Reid Laura E. Hepburn Jason Newton Rachel A. Mills |
author_sort |
James B. Bell |
title |
Geochemistry, faunal composition and trophic structure in reducing sediments on the southwest South Georgia margin |
title_short |
Geochemistry, faunal composition and trophic structure in reducing sediments on the southwest South Georgia margin |
title_full |
Geochemistry, faunal composition and trophic structure in reducing sediments on the southwest South Georgia margin |
title_fullStr |
Geochemistry, faunal composition and trophic structure in reducing sediments on the southwest South Georgia margin |
title_full_unstemmed |
Geochemistry, faunal composition and trophic structure in reducing sediments on the southwest South Georgia margin |
title_sort |
geochemistry, faunal composition and trophic structure in reducing sediments on the southwest south georgia margin |
publisher |
The Royal Society |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.160284 https://doaj.org/article/8e4edc89735241019ee61ddebba069fd |
geographic |
Southern Ocean |
geographic_facet |
Southern Ocean |
genre |
Antarc* antarcticus Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Antarc* antarcticus Southern Ocean |
op_source |
Royal Society Open Science, Vol 3, Iss 9 (2016) |
op_relation |
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.160284 https://doaj.org/toc/2054-5703 2054-5703 doi:10.1098/rsos.160284 https://doaj.org/article/8e4edc89735241019ee61ddebba069fd |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.160284 |
container_title |
Royal Society Open Science |
container_volume |
3 |
container_issue |
9 |
container_start_page |
160284 |
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1766254557891919872 |