During the ''Eumeli-4'' cruise in the northeastern tropical Atlantic Ocean, the occurrence and activity of methanoarchaea in the water column were examined, whether in association with sinking particulate material collected by means of sediment traps and in situ pumps, or with zooplankton organisms harvested with plankton nets and their freshly egested fecal pellets. Besides highlighting the necessity to use adequate particle samplers, the results confirm the presence of Viable pelagic methanogens in particulates; likely to be present in zooplankton, in the form of enteric flora, these archaea would be released in the sea water column within egested fecal pellets.