2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference

March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH

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5/21/2019  |   2:15 PM - 2:30 PM   |  BENTHIC MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES RAPIDLY UTILIZE METHANE WHEN EXPOSED TO NATURAL GAS MACRO-SEEPS IN AN INLAND RIVER   |  250 AB

BENTHIC MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES RAPIDLY UTILIZE METHANE WHEN EXPOSED TO NATURAL GAS MACRO-SEEPS IN AN INLAND RIVER

Methane is usually present in trace quantities in rivers, but natural gas macro-seeps along the Condamine River (Queensland, Australia) elevate water-column methane concentrations to more than 3000 times above concentrations at non-macro-seep reaches. We quantified the spatial and temporal variation in methane oxidation, and the factors mediating this variation, in reaches with and without macro-seeps. Additionally, we performed a sediment translocation experiment to investigate how quickly benthic methanotroph communities become established after the formation of new macro-seeps. Rates of sediment methane oxidation were, on average, 90 times greater near macro-seeps compared to non-macro-seep reaches and generally exceeded rates reported from other aquatic environments. The microbial communities within translocated sediments rapidly responded, with rates of methane oxidation within the translocated sediments matching rates measured at macro-seep reaches within hours of translocation. River discharge was an important determinant of both water-column methane concentration and rates of methane oxidation. We show that methanotroph communities are very active in rivers impacted by natural gas macro-seeps, which indicates that methane may be a prominent energy source in these ecosystems.

  • Carbon
  • Bacteria
  • Microbial

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Presenters/Authors

Ryan Burrows (), Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, ryan.burrows@unimelb.edu.au;


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Michael Venarsky (), Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, mvenarsky@gmail.com;


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Gavin Rees (), CSIRO Land and Water, gavin.rees@csiro.au;


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Mark Kennard (), Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, m.kennard@griffith.edu.au;


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