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Ocean Margin Systems pp 479–495Cite as

Microbial Systems in Sedimentary Environments of Continental Margins

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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.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Alfred Wegener Institut für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Am Handelshafen 12, 27515, Bremerhaven, Germany

    A. Boetius

  2. Max Planck Institut für Marine Mikrobiologie, Celsiusstr. 1, 28359, Bremen, Germany

    A. Boetius, B. B. Jørgensen, R. Amann & B. J. MacGregor

  3. RCMG University of Gent, 9000, Gent, Belgium

    J. P. Henriet

  4. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, 02543, USA

    K. U. Hinrichs

  5. Hanse — Wissenschaftskolleg, Lehmkuhlenbusch 4, 27753, Delmenhorst, Germany

    K. U. Hinrichs & G. Voordouw

  6. Institut für Meereskunde, Universität Kiel, 24105, Kiel, Germany

    K. Lochte

  7. University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, T2N1N4, Canada

    G. Voordouw

Authors
  1. A. Boetius
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  2. B. B. Jørgensen
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  3. R. Amann
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  4. J. P. Henriet
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  5. K. U. Hinrichs
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  6. K. Lochte
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  7. B. J. MacGregor
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  8. G. Voordouw
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Fachbereich Geowissenschaften, Universität Bremen, Klagenfurter Straße 2, 28359, Bremen, Germany

    Gerold Wefer  & Dierk Hebbeln  & 

  2. DEEPSEAS Benthic Biology Group George Deacon Division for Ocean Processes, Southampton Oceanography Centre, European Way, Empress Dock, SO14 3ZH, Southampton, UK

    David Billett

  3. Max-Planck-Institut für Marine Mikrobiologie, Celsiusstraße 1, 28359, Bremen, Germany

    Bo Barker Jørgensen

  4. Alfred-Wegener-Institut für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570, Bremerhaven, Germany

    Michael Schlüter

  5. Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, P.O. Box 59, 1790 AB, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands

    Tjeerd C. E. van Weering

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© 2002 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Boetius, A. et al. (2002). Microbial Systems in Sedimentary Environments of Continental Margins. In: Wefer, G., Billett, D., Hebbeln, D., Jørgensen, B.B., Schlüter, M., van Weering, T.C.E. (eds) Ocean Margin Systems. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-05127-6_29

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-05127-6_29

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-07872-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-662-05127-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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