Life in the dead zone

Ocean dead zones harbor a microbe with a metabolically specialized tool kit that allows it to thrive in these oxygen-poor waters, according to a new analysis by David Walsh and colleagues. Marine dead zones, such as the waters off the Gulf Coast of North America, are expanding with global warming and increased nitrogen runoff from farming and sewage. Their expansion has significant impacts on fisheries and the formation of marine carbon sinks, but the microbial inhabitants that contribute to their chemistry are largely unknown. The researchers' genetic sampling of a dead zone in British Columbia revealed an abundant microbe, similar to bacteria that derive their energy from chemical reactions in the gills of deep-sea clams and mussels. The dead zone microbe carries genes that aid in carbon sequestration and sulfur detoxification, among other specializations.

Article #12: "Metagenome of a Versatile Chemolithoautotroph from Expanding Oceanic Dead Zones," by D.A. Walsh; E. Zaikova; C.G. Howes; Y.C. Song; J. Wright; P.D. Tortell; S.J. Hallam at University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC, Canada; S.G. Tringe at Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute in Walnut Creek, CA.

Contact: Steven J. Hallam at +1-604-827-3420 (office), +1-831-588-2315 (cell), or shallam@interchange.ubc.ca (email)