Methane oxidation and methane distribution in the Lena Delta, Siberia, Russia


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Ingeborg.Bussmann [ at ] awi.de

Abstract

The Lena River is one of the biggest Russian rivers draining into the Laptev Sea. Due to predicted increasing temperatures the permafrost areas surrounding the Lena will melt at increasing rates. With this melting high amounts of carbon, either organic or as methane will reach the waters of the Lena and the adjacent Laptev Sea. As methane is an important green house gas its further fate in the Lena Delta is of uttermost importance. Methane oxidation by methanotrophic bacteria is the only biological way to reduce methane concentrations. However, the polar estuary of the Lena River is a challenging environment, with strong fluctuations in salinity and temperature. We determined the activity and abundance of aerobic methanotrophic bacteria (MOB), as well as the methane distribution and other abiotic parameters. Activity was determined with 3H-CH4 as radioactive tracer and abundance was determined with quantitative PCR. Methane concentrations were rather low (41 ± 44 nM), as well as methane oxidation rates (1.1 ± 1.6 nM/d). In polar water (cold and saline) highest activities were found, whereas the highest abundance of MOB was in surface waters. The relation between methane turnover and abiotic factors will be used to characterize the eco-physiology of these polar and estuarine methanotrophs.



Item Type
Conference (Poster)
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Primary Division
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Publication Status
Published
Event Details
International Conference on Polar and Alpine Microbiology, 06 Sep 2015 - 09 Sep 2015, České Budějovice, Tschechien.
Eprint ID
38670
Cite as
Bussmann, I. , Hackbusch, S. and Wichels, A. (2015): Methane oxidation and methane distribution in the Lena Delta, Siberia, Russia , International Conference on Polar and Alpine Microbiology, České Budějovice, Tschechien, 6 September 2015 - 9 September 2015 .


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