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Ocean currents disturb methane-eating bacteria
https://cage.uit.no/news/ocean-currents-disturb-methane-eating-bacteria/28/04/2015
[font face=Serif][font size=5]Ocean currents disturb methane-eating bacteria[/font]
[font size=4]Bacteria that feed on methane can control its concentration once it is released from the ocean floor. This can potentially stop the greenhouse gas from entering the atmosphere. But ocean currents can easily disturb dinner, according to new study in Nature Geoscience.[/font]
Text: Maja Sojtaric
[font size=3]Offshore the Svalbard archipelago, methane gas is seeping out of the seabed at the depths of several hundred meters. These cold seeps are a home to communities of microorganisms that survive in a chemosynthetic environment – where the fuel for life is not the sun, but the carbon rich greenhouse gas.
…
However, a new study published in Nature Geoscience shows that ocean currents can have a strong impact on this bacterial methane filter.
…
Future methane release from the ocean to the atmosphere will depend on ocean currents.
“We were able to show that strength and variability of ocean currents control the prevalence of methanotrophic bacteria”, says Lea Steinle from University of Basel and the lead author of the study, ”therefore, large bacteria populations cannot develop in a strong current, which consequently leads to less methane consumption.”[/font][/font]
[font face=Serif][font size=5]Ocean currents disturb methane-eating bacteria[/font]
[font size=4]Bacteria that feed on methane can control its concentration once it is released from the ocean floor. This can potentially stop the greenhouse gas from entering the atmosphere. But ocean currents can easily disturb dinner, according to new study in Nature Geoscience.[/font]
Text: Maja Sojtaric
[font size=3]Offshore the Svalbard archipelago, methane gas is seeping out of the seabed at the depths of several hundred meters. These cold seeps are a home to communities of microorganisms that survive in a chemosynthetic environment – where the fuel for life is not the sun, but the carbon rich greenhouse gas.
…
However, a new study published in Nature Geoscience shows that ocean currents can have a strong impact on this bacterial methane filter.
…
Future methane release from the ocean to the atmosphere will depend on ocean currents.
“We were able to show that strength and variability of ocean currents control the prevalence of methanotrophic bacteria”, says Lea Steinle from University of Basel and the lead author of the study, ”therefore, large bacteria populations cannot develop in a strong current, which consequently leads to less methane consumption.”[/font][/font]
