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    Energy sources for chemolithotrophs in an arsenic- and iron-rich shallow-sea hydrothermal system
    The hydrothermally influenced sediments of Tutum Bay, Ambitle Island, Papua New Guinea, are ideal for investigating the chemolithotrophic activities of micro-organisms involved in arsenic cycling because hydrothermal vents there expel fluids with arsenite (AsIII) concentrations as high as 950 μg L−1. These hot (99 °C), slightly acidic (pH ∼6), chemically reduced, shallow-sea vent fluids mix with colder, oxidized seawater to create steep gradients in temperature, pH, and concentrations of As, N, Fe, and S redox species. Near the vents, iron oxyhydroxides precipitate with up to 6.2 wt% arsenate (AsV). Here, chemical analyses of sediment porewaters from 10 sites along a 300-m transect were combined with standard Gibbs energies to evaluate the energy yields (−ΔGr) from 19 potential chemolithotrophic metabolisms, including AsV reduction, AsIII oxidation, FeIII reduction, and FeII oxidation reactions. The 19 reactions yielded 2–94 kJ mol−1 e−, with aerobic oxidation of sulphide and arsenite the two most exergonic reactions. Although anaerobic AsV reduction and FeIII reduction were among the least exergonic reactions investigated, they are still potential net metabolisms. Gibbs energies of the arsenic redox reactions generally correlate linearly with pH, increasing with increasing pH for AsIII oxidation and decreasing with increasing pH for AsV reduction. The calculated exergonic energy yields suggest that micro-organisms could exploit diverse energy sources in Tutum Bay, and examples of micro-organisms known to use these chemolithotrophic metabolic strategies are discussed. Energy modeling of redox reactions can help target sampling sites for future microbial collection and cultivation studies.
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      71  175
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    Enhanced geochemical gradients in a marine shallow-water hydrothermal system: Unusual arsenic speciation in horizontal and vertical pore water profiles
    (Elsevier Science, 2007-12) ; ;
    The shallow marine hydrothermal vents near Ambitle Island in eastern Papua New Guinea discharge hot, slightly acidic, As-rich, chemically reduced fluid into cool, slightly alkaline, oxygenated seawater. Gradients in temperature, pH, and total As (AsT), among others, are established as the two aqueous phases mix. The hydrothermal fluid contained ∼900 μg/L AsT, almost exclusively present as the reduced AsIII, while local seawater measured between 1.2 and 2.4 μg/L As, with approximately equal levels of AsIII and AsV. Of particular interest in this study was As speciation and abundance in pore waters as a function of sediment depth and as a function of distance from the area of focused venting. With increasing distance, AsT concentration in the pore water decreased rapidly, but remained elevated up to 300 m from the area of focused venting when compared to a non-hydrothermal control site. As a function of depth (to ∼100 cm) AsT concentration in the pore water profiles was elevated and generally increased with depth. Surprisingly, aqueous AsV far exceeded aqueous AsIII at almost all distances and depths investigated, while at the control site the AsIII concentration exceeded that of AsV. In the Tutum Bay hydrothermal system, chemical disequilibria among As species provide potential metabolic energy for arsenite oxidizing microorganisms where hydrothermal fluid mixes with seawater near the vent orifice, and for arsenate reducing microorganisms with increasing distance and depth from the hydrothermal point source.
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      76  51
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    Prokaryotic Populations in Arsenic-Rich Shallow-Sea Hydrothermal Sediments of Ambitle Island, Papua New Guinea
    This study is the first to investigate the microbial ecology of the Tutum Bay (Papua New Guinea) shallow-sea hydrothermal system. The subsurface environment was sampled by SCUBA using push cores, which allowed collection of sediments and pore fluids. Geochemical analysis of sediments and fluids along a transect emanating from a discrete venting environment, about 10 mbsl, revealed a complex fluid flow regime and mixing of hydrothermal fluid with seawater within the sediments, providing a continuously fluctuating redox gradient. Vent fluids are highly elevated in arsenic, up to ∼1 ppm, serving as a “point source” of arsenic to this marine environment. 16S rRNA gene and FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization) analyses revealed distinct prokaryotic communities in different sediment horizons, numerically dominated by Bacteria. 16S rRNA gene diversity at the genus level is greater among the Bacteria than the Archaea. The majority of taxa were similar to uncultured Crenarchaea, Chloroflexus, and various heterotrophic Bacteria. The archaeal community did not appear to increase significantly in number or diversity with depth in these sediments. Further, the majority of sequences identifying with thermophilic bacteria were found in the shallower section of the sediment core. No 16S rRNA genes of marine Crenarchaeota or Euryarchaeota were identified, and none of the identified Crenarchaeota have been cultured. Both sediment horizons also hosted “Korarchaeota”, which represent 2–5% of the 16S rRNA gene clone libraries. Metabolic functions, especially among the Archaea, were difficult to constrain given the distant relationships of most of the community members from cultured representatives. Identification of phenotypes and key ecological processes will depend on future culturing, identification of arsenic cycling genes, and RNA-based analyses.
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