AUTHOR=Siegert Michael , Krüger Martin , Teichert Barbara , Wiedicke Michael , Schippers Axel TITLE=Anaerobic Oxidation of Methane at a Marine Methane Seep in a Forearc Sediment Basin off Sumatra, Indian Ocean JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology VOLUME=2 YEAR=2011 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2011.00249 DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2011.00249 ISSN=1664-302X ABSTRACT=
A cold methane seep was discovered in a forearc sediment basin off the island Sumatra, exhibiting a methane-seep adapted microbial community. A defined seep center of activity, like in mud volcanoes, was not discovered. The seep area was rather characterized by a patchy distribution of active spots. The relevance of anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) was reflected by 13C-depleted isotopic signatures of dissolved inorganic carbon. The anaerobic conversion of methane to CO2 was confirmed in a 13C-labeling experiment. Methane fueled a vital microbial community with cell numbers of up to 4 × 109 cells cm−3 sediment. The microbial community was analyzed by total cell counting, catalyzed reporter deposition–fluorescence in situ hybridization (CARD–FISH), quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). CARD–FISH cell counts and qPCR measurements showed the presence of