Project Title

Career: Ecosystem Impacts of Microbial Succession and Production at Antarctic Methane Seeps

Summary

Event Number:
B-249-M
NSF / OPP Award 2046800/2535603

Program Director:
Dr. William Ambrose

ASC POC/Implementer:
Ryan Steiner / Randolph Jones

Principal Investigator(s)

Dr. Andrew Thurber
athurber@ucsb.edu
University of California Santa Barbara
Department of Ecology, Evolution, Marine Biology
Santa Barbara, California

Location

Supporting Stations: McMurdo Station
Research Locations: McMurdo Sound- multiple sites

Description

This project involves the genomic and transcriptomic study of microbial communities developed and still developing after seepage of methane through the seafloor into the ocean — the cold seeps. The first methane seepage in the high Antarctic was discovered in McMurdo Sound in 2012 and 5 years later still had an underdeveloped microbial community that was consuming methane. This project will elucidate the microbial community composition in relation to the presence of methane and their function in oxidizing methane in Antarctic coastal waters. The project aims to answer three scientific questions on microbes associated with methane seeps: (1) What is their relation to species present and their evolution over time, (2) what metabolic processes do they support, and (3) what role do they play in providing food for benthic food webs. Sampling must occur in the late winter / early spring, before high light levels support growth of diatom mats over the benthos.

Field Season Overview

The team will focus on sampling the areas of known methane seepage around eastern McMurdo Sound. Four participants will deploy for ~2 months, from early October to early December, to collect sediment cores and animals with the aid of United States Antarctic Program (USAP) dive support and to conduct experiments on the collected sediment within the Crary aquarium and Crary Lab. The majority of the work involves diving out of fish huts, plus dive tomatoes or apples. Antarctica New Zealand (AntNZ) will provide the Cape Evans field camp structures and dive hole. The science team and a USAP diver will do a series of dives at Cape Evans but will be based at McMurdo Station, overnighting at the AntNZ camp up to 3 nights to minimize fuel and drive time between McMurdo Station and Cape Evans.

Deploying Team Members