European Ocean Biodiversity Information System
[ report an error in this record ]basket (0): add | show Print this page
Microbial systems in sedimentary environments of continental margins
Boetius, A.; Jørgensen, B.B.; Amann, R.; Henriet, J.P.; Hinrichs, K.-U.; Lochte, K.; MacGregor, B.J.; Voordouw, G. (2002). Microbial systems in sedimentary environments of continental margins, in: Wefer, G. et al. (Ed.) Ocean margin systems. pp. 479-495
In: Wefer, G. et al. (2002). Ocean margin systems. Springer: Berlin. ISBN 3-540-43921-8. IX, 495, 213 fig., 31 tab. pp. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007%2F978-3-662-05127-6
Available in  Authors 
    Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee: Non-open access 215111 [ request ]
Keyword
    Marine/Coastal
Authors  Top 
  • Boetius, A.
  • Jørgensen, B.B.
  • Amann, R.
  • Henriet, J.P.
  • Hinrichs, K.-U.
  • Lochte, K.
  • MacGregor, B.J.
  • Voordouw, G.
Abstract
    The zone of continental margins is most important for the ocean's productivity and nutrient budget and connects the flow of material from terrestrial environments to the deep-sea. Microbial processes are an important "filter" in this exchange between sediments and ocean interior. As a consequence of the variety of habitats and special environmental conditions at continental margins an enormous diversity of microbial processes and microbial life forms is found. The only definite limit to microbial life in sedimentary systems of continental margins appears to be high temperatures in the interior earth or in fluids rising from the interior. Many of the catalytic capabilities which microorganisms possess are still only incompletely explored and appear to continuously expand as new organisms are discovered. Recent discoveries at continental margins such as the microbial life in the deep sub-seafloor, microbial utilization of hydrate deposits, highly specialized microbial symbioses and the involvement of microbial processes in the formation of carbonate mounds have extended our understanding of the Earth's bio- and geosphere dramatically. The aim of this paper is to identify important scientific issues for future research on microbial life in sedimentary environments of continental margins.
All data in the Integrated Marine Information System (IMIS) is subject to the VLIZ privacy policy Top | Authors