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Summary Marine microorganisms play a fundamental role in the global carbon cycle by mediating the sequestration of organic matter in ocean waters and sediments. A better understanding of how biological factors, such as microbial community composition, influence the lability and fate of organic matter is needed. Here, we explored the extent to which organic matter remineralization is influenced by species‐specific metabolic capabilities. We carried out aerobic time‐series incubations of Guaymas Basin sediments to quantify the dynamics of carbon utilization by two different heterotrophic marine isolates (Vibrio splendidus1A01;Pseudoalteromonassp. 3D05). Continuous measurement of respiratory CO2production and its carbon isotopic compositions (13C and14C) shows species‐specific differences in the rate, quantity and type of organic matter remineralized. Each species was incubated with hydrothermally‐influenced versus unimpacted sediments, resulting in a ~2‐fold difference in respiratory CO2yield across the experiments. Genomic analysis indicated that the observed carbon utilization patterns may be attributed in part to the number of gene copies encoding for extracellular hydrolytic enzymes. Our results demonstrate that the lability and remineralization of organic matter in marine environments is not only a function of chemical composition and/or environmental conditions, but also a function of the microorganisms that are present and active.
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Organic Coatings Reduce Dissolution Rate by an Order of Magnitude for Carbonate Minerals Produced by Marine Fish
Abstract Marine carbonate production and dissolution are important components of the global carbon cycle and the marine alkalinity budget. Global carbonate production by marine fish (ichthyocarbonate) has been estimated to be as high as 9.03 Pg CaCO3 yr−1; however, the fate of ichthyocarbonate is poorly understood. High magnesium concentrations in ichthyocarbonate would traditionally suggest rapid dissolution under current marine conditions, but a correlation between dissolution rate and mol%MgCO3has not been observed. Here, we aim to determine the role of organic coatings on dissolution rates of ichthyocarbonate in marine environments. We applied a combination of petrographic, geochemical, and microCT approaches to assess the quantity and distribution of organic matter in ichthyocarbonate produced by two species of marine fish, the Gulf toadfish (Opsanus beta) and the Olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus). We show that organic matter, including external coatings and embedded organic material, is volumetrically significant, ranging from 8.5% to 32.3% of ichthyocarbonate by volume. Bleach oxidation of external organic matter coatings increased the dissolution rate of ichthyocarbonate by more than an order of magnitude, suggesting these coatings serve to reduce reactive surface area of the mineral fraction in ichthyocarbonate. Assuming that organic coatings do not influence sinking rates, external coatings extend the depth of ichthyocarbonate persistence in the water column by ∼12–15×. Therefore, organic coatings are an important determinant of the role of ichthyocarbonate in the marine carbon cycle.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2319245
- PAR ID:
- 10555024
- Publisher / Repository:
- DOI PREFIX: 10.1029
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Global Biogeochemical Cycles
- Volume:
- 38
- Issue:
- 11
- ISSN:
- 0886-6236
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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