Fig. 7: The stratified microbial communities and metabolic cooperation in the F-site cold seep water columns.

The environmental parameters of the seawater samples were measured either in situ or onboard (Fig. 2A and Supplementary Table 2). The metabolic potential and cooperation in the surface zone, mesopelagic zone, and the BMI were inferred from the functional modules of MAGs (Fig. 5). The microbial groups with the highest abundance participating in each process are indicated by yellow circles. The numbers within the yellow circles indicate the following: 1. Rhodobacterales; 2. Cyanobacteria; 3. Rhodobacterales and Pseudomonadales; 4. Pseudomonadales; 5. SAR324; 6. SAR324, Pseudomonadales, Pesosphaerales and Rhodobacterales; 7. Rhodobacterales and Enterobacterales; 8. Pseudomonadales and Enterobacterales; 9. Methylococcales; 10. Enterobacterales; 11. Acidimicrobiales, Nitrososphaerales and Pedospharales; 12. Nitrosococcales; 13. Pseudomonadales and Thiotricales; 14. Campylobacterales and Thiotricales; 15. Thiotricales; 16. Campylobacterales and Methylococcales; 17. Campylobacterales, Methylococcales, Thiotricales, Bacteroidales, and Flavobacteriales; 18. Campylobacterales; 19. Burkholderiales, Nitrososphaerales, and Thiotricales; 20. Flavobacteriales and Bacteroidales; 21. Bacteroidales and Flavobacteriales.