NAI
2008 Annual Science Report
University of Hawaii, Manoa
Reporting | JUL 2007 – JUN 2008
Sediment-Buried Basement Deep Biosphere
Project Summary
There is growing evidence that a substantial subseafloor biosphere extends throughout the immense volume of aging basement (basaltic rock) of the ocean crust. Since most ocean basement rock is buried under thick, impermeable layers of sediment, the fluids circulating within the underlying ocean basement are usually inaccessible for direct studies. Circulation Obviation Retrofit Kit (CORK) observatories affixed to Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) boreholes offer an unprecedented opportunity to study biogeochemical properties and microbial diversity in circulating fluids from deep ocean basement. UH-NAI post doctoral fellows (e.g., Brian Glazer, Andrew Boal)
Project Progress
A. We have secured major funding ($1.2 M) from NSF-Microbial Research (a Microbial Observatory grant) to continue our investigation into the deep-subsurface biosphere via CORK Observatories at the Juan de Fuca Ridge flanks. We were able to leverage UH-NAI research funds and personnel, as well as EO opportunities to obtain this NSF funding. We have significantly modified our existing seafloor CORK instrumentation sled (the GeoMICROBE sled).
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PROJECT INVESTIGATORS:
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PROJECT MEMBERS:
Lisa Nakata
Research Staff
Sean Jungbluth
Doctoral Student
Huei-Ting Lin
Doctoral Student
Micheal Matzinger
Doctoral Student
Kristina Mojica
Doctoral Student
Ryan Matsumoto
Undergraduate Student
Amanda Ricardo
Undergraduate Student
Soo Huey Teh
Undergraduate Student
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RELATED OBJECTIVES:
Objective 1.1
Models of formation and evolution of habitable planets
Objective 3.3
Origins of energy transduction
Objective 4.1
Earth's early biosphere
Objective 5.1
Environment-dependent, molecular evolution in microorganisms
Objective 5.2
Co-evolution of microbial communities
Objective 5.3
Biochemical adaptation to extreme environments
Objective 6.1
Environmental changes and the cycling of elements by the biota, communities, and ecosystems
Objective 6.2
Adaptation and evolution of life beyond Earth
