The surface sediments collected from the southern Mariana Trench at water depths between ca.4900 m and 7068 m were studied using lipid biomarker analyses to reveal the origin and distribution of organic matters. For a...The surface sediments collected from the southern Mariana Trench at water depths between ca.4900 m and 7068 m were studied using lipid biomarker analyses to reveal the origin and distribution of organic matters. For all samples, an unresolved complex mixture(UCM) was present in the hydrocarbon fractions, wherein resistant component tricyclic terpanes were detected but C_(27)-C _(29) regular steranes and hopanes indicative of a higher molecular weight range of petroleum were almost absent.This biomarker distribution patterns suggested that the UCM and tricyclic terpanes may be introduced by contamination of diesel fuels or shipping activities and oil seepage elsewhere. The well-developed faults and strike-slip faults in the Mariana subduction zone may serve as passages for the petroleum hydrocarbons. In addition, the relative high contents of even n-alkanes and low Carbon Preference Indices indicated that the n-alkanes were mainly derived from bacteria or algae. For GDGTs, the predominance of GDGT-0 and crenarchaeol, together with low GDGT-0/Crenarchaeol ratios(ranging from0.86 to 1.64), suggests that the GDGTs in samples from the southern Mariana Trench were mainly derived from planktic Thaumarchaeota. However, the high GDGT-0/crenarchaeol ratio(10.5) in sample BC07 suggests that the GDGTs probably were introduced by methanogens in a more anoxic environment. Furthermore, the n-alkanes C_(19)-C_(22) and the n-fatty acids C_(20:0)-C_(22:0) were depleted in^(13)C by 3‰ compared to n-alkanes C_(16)-C_(18) and the n-fatty acids C_(14:0)-C_(18:0), respectively, which was interpreted to result from the preferential reaction of fatty acid fragments with carbon "lighter" terminal carboxyl groups during carbon chain elongation from the precursors to products. The abundance of total alkanes, carboxylic acids, alcohols and total lipids were generally increased along the down-going seaward plate, suggesting the lateral organic matter inputs play an important role in organic matter accumulation in hadal trenches. The extremely high contents of biomarkers in sample BC11 were most likely related to trench topography and current dynamics, since the lower steepness caused by graben texture and proximity to the trench axis may result in higher sedimentation rate. This paper, for the first time, showed the biomarker patterns in surface sediments of the Mariana Trench and shed light on biogeochemistry of the hardly reached trench environment.展开更多
Hadal trenches are the least explored marine habitat on earth. Archaea has been shown to be the dominant group in trench sediments. However, the activity potentials and detailed diversity of these communities as well ...Hadal trenches are the least explored marine habitat on earth. Archaea has been shown to be the dominant group in trench sediments. However, the activity potentials and detailed diversity of these communities as well as their inter-trench variations are still not known. In this study, we combined datasets from two pairs of primers to investigate at high resolution the structure and activity potentials of the archaeal communities in vertically sectioned sediment cores taken from the deepest points of the Mariana (10,853 m) and Mussau (7011 m) trenches. The compositions of the potentially active communities revealed, via 16S ribosomal RNA gene (rDNA) and RNA (rRNA), significant differences between samples. Marine Group I (MGI), with nine identified subgroups, was the most dominant class in the active archaeal communities of the two trenches. Significantly different species composition and vertical variations were observed between the two trenches. Vertical transitions from aerobic MGI α to anaerobic MGI η and υ subgroups were observed in MST but not in MT sediments, which might be related to the faster microbial oxygen consumption in MST. These results provide a better understanding on archaeal activity and diversity in trench sediments.展开更多
基金supported by Qingdao National Labo-ratory for Marine Science and Technology (Grant Nos.QNLM2016ORP0210 and QNLM2016ORP0208) the NSFC (GrantNos. 41473080, 41606091, and 41703077)+2 种基金the Strategic PriorityResearch Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No.XDB06030102)the Shanghai Sailing Program (No.17YF1407800)JF is grateful for the support by the NSFC (Grant Nos.91328208 and 41373071)
文摘The surface sediments collected from the southern Mariana Trench at water depths between ca.4900 m and 7068 m were studied using lipid biomarker analyses to reveal the origin and distribution of organic matters. For all samples, an unresolved complex mixture(UCM) was present in the hydrocarbon fractions, wherein resistant component tricyclic terpanes were detected but C_(27)-C _(29) regular steranes and hopanes indicative of a higher molecular weight range of petroleum were almost absent.This biomarker distribution patterns suggested that the UCM and tricyclic terpanes may be introduced by contamination of diesel fuels or shipping activities and oil seepage elsewhere. The well-developed faults and strike-slip faults in the Mariana subduction zone may serve as passages for the petroleum hydrocarbons. In addition, the relative high contents of even n-alkanes and low Carbon Preference Indices indicated that the n-alkanes were mainly derived from bacteria or algae. For GDGTs, the predominance of GDGT-0 and crenarchaeol, together with low GDGT-0/Crenarchaeol ratios(ranging from0.86 to 1.64), suggests that the GDGTs in samples from the southern Mariana Trench were mainly derived from planktic Thaumarchaeota. However, the high GDGT-0/crenarchaeol ratio(10.5) in sample BC07 suggests that the GDGTs probably were introduced by methanogens in a more anoxic environment. Furthermore, the n-alkanes C_(19)-C_(22) and the n-fatty acids C_(20:0)-C_(22:0) were depleted in^(13)C by 3‰ compared to n-alkanes C_(16)-C_(18) and the n-fatty acids C_(14:0)-C_(18:0), respectively, which was interpreted to result from the preferential reaction of fatty acid fragments with carbon "lighter" terminal carboxyl groups during carbon chain elongation from the precursors to products. The abundance of total alkanes, carboxylic acids, alcohols and total lipids were generally increased along the down-going seaward plate, suggesting the lateral organic matter inputs play an important role in organic matter accumulation in hadal trenches. The extremely high contents of biomarkers in sample BC11 were most likely related to trench topography and current dynamics, since the lower steepness caused by graben texture and proximity to the trench axis may result in higher sedimentation rate. This paper, for the first time, showed the biomarker patterns in surface sediments of the Mariana Trench and shed light on biogeochemistry of the hardly reached trench environment.
基金supported by National Key R&D Program of China(Grant Number 2018YFC0310600)by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Numbers 91951210,41773069,41906134)by Shanghai Natural Science Foundation(Grant Number 20ZR1423700).
文摘Hadal trenches are the least explored marine habitat on earth. Archaea has been shown to be the dominant group in trench sediments. However, the activity potentials and detailed diversity of these communities as well as their inter-trench variations are still not known. In this study, we combined datasets from two pairs of primers to investigate at high resolution the structure and activity potentials of the archaeal communities in vertically sectioned sediment cores taken from the deepest points of the Mariana (10,853 m) and Mussau (7011 m) trenches. The compositions of the potentially active communities revealed, via 16S ribosomal RNA gene (rDNA) and RNA (rRNA), significant differences between samples. Marine Group I (MGI), with nine identified subgroups, was the most dominant class in the active archaeal communities of the two trenches. Significantly different species composition and vertical variations were observed between the two trenches. Vertical transitions from aerobic MGI α to anaerobic MGI η and υ subgroups were observed in MST but not in MT sediments, which might be related to the faster microbial oxygen consumption in MST. These results provide a better understanding on archaeal activity and diversity in trench sediments.
