Microorganisms persist at record depths in the subseafloor of the Canterbury Basin

Type Article
Date 2014-07
Language English
Author(s) Ciobanu Maria Cristina1, 2, 3, Burgaud Gaetan4, Dufresne Alexis5, Breuker Anja6, Redou Vanessa4, Ben Maamar Sarah1, Gaboyer Frederic1, 2, 3, Vandenabeele-Trambouze Odile1, 2, 3, Lipp Julius Sebastian7, 8, Schippers Axel6, Vandenkoornhuyse Philippe5, Barbier Georges4, Jebbar Mohamed1, 2, 3, Godfroy AnneORCID1, 2, 3, Alain Karine1, 2, 3
Affiliation(s) 1 : UBO, UEB, IUEM, UMR 6197,LMEE, Plouzane, France.
2 : IUEM, CNRS, UMR 6197, LMEE, Plouzane, France.
3 : IFREMER, UMR6197, LMEE, Plouzane, France.
4 : Univ Brest, UEB, SFR ScInBioS IFR148,ESIAB, Lab Univ Biodiversite & Ecol Microbienne EA 3882, Plouzane, France.
5 : Univ Rennes 1, CNRS, UMR 6553, ECOBIO, Rennes, France.
6 : BGR, Hannover, Germany.
7 : Univ Bremen, Dept Geosci, Organ Geochem Grp, D-28359 Bremen, Germany.
8 : Univ Bremen, MARUM Ctr Marine Environm Sci, D-28359 Bremen, Germany.
Source Isme Journal (1751-7362) (Nature Publishing Group), 2014-07 , Vol. 8 , N. 7 , P. 1370-1380
DOI 10.1038/ismej.2013.250
WOS© Times Cited 64
Keyword(s) deep biosphere, subsurface life, eukaryote, record depth
Abstract The subsurface realm is colonized by microbial communities to depths of >1000 meters below the seafloor (m.b.sf.), but little is known about overall diversity and microbial distribution patterns at the most profound depths. Here we show that not only Bacteria and Archaea but also Eukarya occur at record depths in the subseafloor of the Canterbury Basin. Shifts in microbial community composition along a core of nearly 2 km reflect vertical taxa zonation influenced by sediment depth. Representatives of some microbial taxa were also cultivated using methods mimicking in situ conditions. These results suggest that diverse microorganisms persist down to 1922 m.b.sf. in the seafloor of the Canterbury Basin and extend the previously known depth limits of microbial evidence (i) from 159 to 1740 m.b.sf. for Eukarya and (ii) from 518 to 1922 m.b.sf. for Bacteria.
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Ciobanu Maria Cristina, Burgaud Gaetan, Dufresne Alexis, Breuker Anja, Redou Vanessa, Ben Maamar Sarah, Gaboyer Frederic, Vandenabeele-Trambouze Odile, Lipp Julius Sebastian, Schippers Axel, Vandenkoornhuyse Philippe, Barbier Georges, Jebbar Mohamed, Godfroy Anne, Alain Karine (2014). Microorganisms persist at record depths in the subseafloor of the Canterbury Basin. Isme Journal, 8(7), 1370-1380. Publisher's official version : https://doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2013.250 , Open Access version : https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00201/31243/