Work

Global distribution of microbial abundance and biomass in subseafloor sediment

Year: 2012

Type: article

Abstract: The global geographic distribution of subseafloor sedimentary microbes and the cause(s) of that distribution are largely unexplored. Here, we show that total microbial cell abundance in subseafloor sediment varies between sites by ca. five orders of magnitude. This variation is strongly correlated with mean sedimentation rate and distance from land. Based on these correlations, we estimate global subseafloor sedimentary microbial abundance to be 2.9⋅10(29) cells [corresponding to 4.1 petagram (Pg) C and ∼0.6% of Earth's total living biomass]. This estimate of subseafloor sedimentary microbial abundance is roughly equal to previous estimates of total microbial abundance in seawater and total microbial abundance in soil. It is much lower than previous estimates of subseafloor sedimentary microbial abundance. In consequence, we estimate Earth's total number of microbes and total living biomass to be, respectively, 50-78% and 10-45% lower than previous estimates.

Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1203849109

Authors: Jens Kallmeyer, Robert Pockalny, Rishi Ram Adhikari, David C. Smith, Steven D’Hondt

Institutions: University of Potsdam, GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences, University of Rhode Island

Language: English

Topic: Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology

Subfield: Ecology

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Life below water

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W1999887423

FWCI: 51.71

Cites: 35

Cited by: 953

Related to: 10