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Abstract Aqueous-soluble hydrocarbons dissolve into the ocean’s interior and structure deep-sea microbial populations influenced by natural oil seeps and spills. Among these hydrocarbons, n-pentane, is a seawater-soluble, volatile compound abundant in petroleum products and reservoirs, which partially partitions to the deep-water column following release from the seafloor. In this study, we explore the ecology and niche partitioning of two free-living Cycloclasticus strains recovered from seawater incubations with n-pentane and distinguish them as an open ocean variant and a seep-proximal variant, each with distinct capabilities for hydrocarbon catabolism. Comparative metagenomic analysis indicates the variant more frequently observed further from natural seeps encodes more general pathways for hydrocarbon consumption, including short-chain alkanes, aromatics, and long-chain alkanes, and also possesses redox versatility in the form of respiratory nitrate reduction and thiosulfate oxidation; in contrast, the seep variant specializes in short-chain alkanes and relies strictly on oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor. Both variants observed in our work were dominant ecotypes of Cycloclasticus observed during the Deepwater Horizon disaster, a conclusion supported by 16S rRNA gene analysis and read-recruitment of sequences collected from the submerged oil plume during active flow. A comparative genomic analysis of Cycloclasticus across various ecosystems suggests distinct strategies for hydrocarbon transformations among each clade. Our findings suggest Cycloclasticus is a versatile and opportunistic consumer of hydrocarbons and may have a greater role in the cycling of sulfur and nitrogen, thus contributing broad ecological impact to various ecosystems globally. 

Abstract. The Santa Barbara Basin naturally experiences transient deoxygenation due to its unique geological setting in the southern California Borderland and seasonal changes in ocean currents. Long-term measurements of the basin showed that anoxic events and subsequent nitrate exhaustion in the bottom waters have been occurring more frequently and lasting longer over the past decade. One characteristic of the Santa Barbara Basin is the seasonal development of extensive mats of benthic nitrate-reducing sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, which are found at the sediment–water interface when the basin's bottom waters reach anoxia but still provide some nitrate. To assess the mat's impact on the benthic and pelagic redox environment, we collected biogeochemical sediment and benthic flux data in November 2019, after anoxia developed in the deepest waters of the basin and dissolved nitrate was depleted (down to 9.9 µM). We found that the development of mats was associated with a shift from denitrification to dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium. The zone of sulfate reduction appeared near the sediment–water interface in sediment hosting these ephemeral white mats. We found that an exhaustion of iron oxides in the surface sediment was an additional prerequisite for mat proliferation. Our research further suggests that cycles of deoxygenation and reoxygenation of the benthic environment result in extremely high benthic fluxes of dissolved iron from the basin's sediment. This work expands our understanding of nitrate-reducing sulfur-oxidizing mats and their role in sustaining and potentially expanding marine anoxia. 

Abstract Cycloalkanes are abundant and toxic compounds in subsurface petroleum reservoirs and their fate is important to ecosystems impacted by natural oil seeps and spills. This study focuses on the microbial metabolism of methylcyclohexane (MCH) and methylcyclopentane (MCP) in the deep Gulf of Mexico. MCH and MCP are often abundant cycloalkanes observed in petroleum and will dissolve into the water column when introduced at the seafloor via a spill or natural seep. We conducted incubations with deep Gulf of Mexico (GOM) seawater amended with MCH and MCP at four stations. Within incubations with active respiration of MCH and MCP, we found that a novel genus of bacteria belonging to thePorticoccaceaefamily (Candidatus Reddybacter) dominated the microbial community. Using metagenome‐assembled genomes, we reconstructed the central metabolism ofCandidatus Reddybacter, identifying a novel clade of the particulate hydrocarbon monooxygenase (pmo) that may play a central role in MCH and MCP metabolism. Through comparative analysis of 174 genomes, we parsed the taxonomy of thePorticoccaceaefamily and found evidence suggesting the acquisition ofpmoand other genes related to the degradation of cyclic and branched hydrophobic compounds were likely key events in the ecology and evolution of this group of organisms.