Abstract
Background: Shipwrecks serve as a rich source for novel microbial populations that have largely remained undiscovered. Low temperatures, lack of sunlight, and the availability of substrates derived from the shipwreck's hull and cargo may provide an environment in which microbes can develop unique metabolic adaptations. Methods: To test our hypothesis that shipwrecks could influence the microbial population involved in denitrification when a consortium is grown in the laboratory, we collected samples proximate to two steel shipwrecks in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Then under laboratory conditions, we grew two independent denitrifying microbial consortia. Each consortium was grown by using the BART assay system and analyzed based on growth kinetics, ion chromatography and 16S amplicon sequencing. Results: Both denitrifying consortia were different from each other based on varied growth profiles, rates of nitrate utilization and 16S amplicon sequencing. Conclusions: Our observations conclude that the laboratory grown water column microbial consortia from deep-sea shipwrecks in the Gulf of Mexico are able to undergo aggressive denitrification.
Highlights
The biogeochemical process that transforms dissolved inorganic nitrogen to nitrogen gas is known as denitrification (DN)
Hydrographic conditions of the water samples The depth, temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen (DO) of the water samples obtained from the region proximal to the Halo and U-166 shipwreck sites were obtained with the CTD (Table 1)
Apart from the unique microbial life detected in the marine dark biosphere, shipwreck sites located in the deep sea serve as a rich source of distinct flora and fauna[6]
Summary
The biogeochemical process that transforms dissolved inorganic nitrogen to nitrogen gas is known as denitrification (DN). This metabolic pathway impacts the nitrogen (N) cycle by returning elemental N to the atmosphere[1,2] It can alternatively be defined as the reduction of more oxidized forms of nitrogen (NO3-, NO2-, NO and N2O) to N2 gas, where it can be linked to the oxidation of iron, sulfur and reduced carbon species[3]. Shipwrecks have been identified as areas from which novel microbial species have been isolated, because of the introduction of foreign material to the area[6] They would be an ideal location to discover unique microorganisms and metabolic activity, as these areas are known to be diverse habitats for macroorganisms in the marine environment[7]. Conclusions: Our observations conclude that the laboratory grown water column microbial consortia from deep-sea shipwrecks in the Gulf of Mexico are able to undergo aggressive denitrification
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