Abstract
The biogeochemical cycle of iron is intricately linked to numerous element cycles. Although biological processes that catalyze the reductive side of the iron cycle are established, little is known about microbial oxidative processes on iron cycling in sedimentary environments—resulting in the formation of iron oxides. Here we show that a potential source of sedimentary iron oxides originates from the metabolic activity of iron-oxidizing bacteria from the class Zetaproteobacteria, presumably enhanced by burrowing animals in coastal sediments. Zetaproteobacteria were estimated to be a global total of 1026 cells in coastal, bioturbated sediments, and predicted to annually produce 8 × 1015 g of Fe in sedimentary iron oxides—55 times larger than the annual flux of iron oxides deposited by rivers. These data suggest that iron-oxidizing Zetaproteobacteria are keystone organisms in marine sedimentary environments—despite their low numerical abundance—yet exert a disproportionate impact via the rejuvenation of iron oxides.
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Acknowledgements
This project was funded by a National Science Foundation Biological Oceanography Award number OCE-1459600 (D.E.). Sample collection for the Oregon margin and Gulf of Mexico was funded by National Science Foundation grants OCE-1029889 and OCE-1147407, and written contributions by OCE-1715106 (to J.M.). F.J.R.M. was supported through ERC Grant 306933 under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Program. C.S.C was supported by a National Science Foundation Biological Oceanography award (OCE-1155290). We appreciate Sarabeth George for field and laboratory assistance, Peter Larsen for marine polychaete and hemichordate identification, Anton Tramper for sampling worm burrow and sediments from Netherlands, Peter Girguis and David Johnston for helpful discussions, Megan Harder for assistance with iron oxide and DNA extractions, and Matthew Wade for logistical support. We appreciate the comments from two anonymous reviewers that greatly improved the quality of the final manuscript.
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Beam, J.P., Scott, J.J., McAllister, S.M. et al. Biological rejuvenation of iron oxides in bioturbated marine sediments. ISME J 12, 1389–1394 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41396-017-0032-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41396-017-0032-6
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