Quantifying Aerobic Methane Oxidation in the Ocean: Calibration and palaeo application of a novel proxy

Objetivo

Methane, a key greenhouse gas, is cycled by microorganisms via two pathways, aerobically and anaerobically. Research on the
marine methane cycle has mainly concentrated on anaerobic processes. Recent biomarker work has provided compelling
evidence that aerobic methane oxidation (AMO) can play a more significant role in cycling methane emitted from sediments than
previously considered. AMO, however, is not well studied requiring novel proxies that can be applied to the sedimentary record. A
group of complex lipids biosynthesised by aerobic methanotrophs known as aminobacteriohopanepolyols represent an ideal target
for developing such poxies. Recently BHPs have been identified in a wide range of modern and recent environments including a
continuous record from the Congo deep sea fan spanning the last 1.2 million years.
In this integrated study, the regulation and expression of BHP will be investigated and calibrated against environmental variables
including temperature, pH, salinity and, most importantly, methane concentrations. The work program has three complementary
strands. (1) Pure culture and sedimentary microcosm experiments providing an approximation to natural conditions. (2) Calibration
of BHP signatures in natural marine settings (e.g. cold seeps, mud volcanoes, pockmarks) against measured methane gradients.
(3) Application of this novel approach to the marine sedimentary record to approximate methane fluxes in the past, explore the age
and bathymetric limits of this novel molecular proxy, and identify and potentially 14C date palaeo-pockmarks structures. Crucial to
the success is also the refinement of the analytical protocols to improve both accuracy and sensitivity, using a more sensitive
analytical instrument (triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer).

Ámbito científico

Régimen de financiación

ERC-SG - ERC Starting Grant

Institución de acogida

UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE

Aportación de la UE

€ 1 496 392,00

Dirección

KINGS GATE
NE1 7RU Newcastle Upon Tyne
Reino Unido

Región

North East (England) Northumberland and Tyne and Wear Tyneside

Tipo de actividad

Higher or Secondary Education Establishments

Contacto administrativo

Carol Huntley (Ms.)

Investigador principal

Helen Marie Talbot (Dr.)

Enlaces

Contactar con la organización Sitio web

Coste total

Sin datos

Beneficiarios (1)