南海北部冷泉区沉积物中微生物丰度与甲烷浓度变化关系的初步研究

对2006年“海洋四号”在南海北部陆坡和深水冷泉活动区获得的两个重力活塞岩心中微生物丰度变化和甲烷浓度变化的关系进行了初步研究。荧光显微镜观察和直接计数结果表明,研究区冷泉微生物细胞形态有多种类型,但常见和占优势的是杆状、球状和链状。微生物丰度随不同站位和深度变化于106-105细胞个体/g之间。甲烷浓度高异常站位的微生物丰度大于甲烷浓度低的站位。在同一岩心中,微生物的丰度变化也和甲烷浓度变化相吻合,甲烷浓度高,微生物丰度大,反之亦然。该结果表明了冷泉微生物对沉积物中甲烷浓度的增加或减少十分敏感。     

南海北部陆坡西部海域“海马”冷泉甲烷渗漏及其海底表征

2015年3月"海马"号遥控无人潜水器(ROV)在南海北部陆坡西部海域首次发现活动冷泉,并命名为"海马"冷泉,此后中国地质调查局广州海洋地质调查局先后组织了3个航次,对"海马"冷泉开展进一步勘查和研究。本次研究在综合分析4个航次调查数据的基础上,初步阐述"海马"冷泉的分布范围、地形地貌、生物群落、自生碳酸盐岩和流体活动等特征。总体而言,"海马"冷泉区地势平缓,气体渗漏现象非常发育,是以CH4为主要气体渗漏形成的活动冷泉区,且气体渗漏活动具有时空迁移性。气体碳同位素组成表明,海马冷泉区的CH4为混合成因气,且以微生物成因为主;"海马"冷泉区发育有多种类型的化能自养冷泉生物群落,冷泉区种类丰富,目前已报道了多个冷泉生物新种。这些发现为研究南海北部陆坡西部海域天然气水合物分解及其环境效应、冷泉生物生命起源与演化和南海与印度洋及太平洋物种迁移贯通等科学问题提供重要依据。     

南海东沙深海冷泉区973-5重力柱沉积物古菌多样性

中国南海东沙一带冷泉发育,但目前国内外对深海冷泉区微生物研究甚少,特别是缺乏利用高通量测序的记录。对东沙深海冷泉区973-5站位(该站位水深约3 000 m)长约935 cm的重力岩心进行了高通量分析。结果显示:该站位微生物细胞丰度为5.3×10⁸~34.0×10⁸个/g,随深度变深而增加,其变化趋势与甲烷含量变化可对比,与粒度、有机碳的变化也具有相关性。测序结果显示,岩心中主要古菌类群是MBGB(39.9%)、C3(15.8%)以及ANME-1(12.0%),随着深度的变化群落组成有所改变。硫酸盐-甲烷界面(SMI,760 cm)上下出现了大量的MBGB和ANME-1类群,pH也不断增加,暗示了这一区域存在不断增强的甲烷厌氧氧化作用。岩心底部出现了一定量的ANME-1和ANME-2类群,暗示除了在SMI附近甲烷氧化和硫酸盐还原反应强烈,其下部可能还有水合物的分解与甲烷的上涌,为ANME类群生存提供了营养物质。与东沙海区其他站位相比,973-5站位的甲烷通量较高,但没有发现产甲烷菌,推测该区沉积物中高浓度的甲烷来源为周边浅部或深部断裂系统运移供给。     

Preservation of Radiolarian Diversity and Abundance in Surface Sediments of the South China Sea and Its Environmental Implication

Quantitative analysis of radiolarian preservation in surface sediments from different regional environments of the South China Sea (SCS) is discussed in this article for illustrating their relationship. The results show that species diversity and abundance of radiolarian in the surfacese diment increase with water depth, indicating no obvious dissolution of radiolarian shell in the deep SCS. Upwelling activity and volcanic eruption are both in favor of radiolarian propagation, and cause the settlement enrichment of radiolarian shell. Whereas, an abnormal reduced radiolarian fauna in deeper slope sediment may result from the remain of turbid flow that brings sediments from shallow area, such as shelf and upper slope. Radiolartan species are mainly composed of tropic-subtropic types,and include some cold or polar species, which indicates that a mistake in paleoceanographic analysis should arise from the monospecific index. However, synthesis radiolarian indexes in sediments may well respond to the ecologic and depositional environments in the SCS.     

南海北部九龙甲烷礁邻区沉积物层中垂向细菌群落结构特征研究

本研究应用微生物16S rRNA-DGGE和T-RFLP技术,结合环境参数,对我国天然气水合物潜在区南海九龙甲烷礁附近973-4柱状样沉积物中3个层位12个不同深度(表层20 cm至382 cm,中层552 cm至796 cm,深层862 cm至1 196 cm)细菌群落结构及其分布进行了对比研究.其中T-RFLP实验表明,细菌丰度、香农指数和均匀度变化趋势相同,由深层到716 cm处先降后升,中层716 cm深度范围处微生物群落丰度、均匀度、香农指数相对较高,716 cm至表层先降后升.DGGE图谱和T-RFLP色谱峰聚类分析表明:表层20 cm至192 cm相似性较高,表层236 cm至382 cm与深层1 082 cm、1 196 cm群落结构相似性较高,但中层沉积物中微生物群落结构与表层及深层均有较大差异.环境参数表明中层甲烷含量较高,推测甲烷是影响微生物群落结构差异的主要因素之一.T-RFLP色谱峰与微生物数据库比对及DGGE条带测序也表明了:本区变形杆菌(Proteobacteria)为优势菌群,其中α-、γ-、δ-变形杆菌(Proteobacteria)为主要的细菌亚群,其他细菌包括放线菌(Actinobacteria)、厚壁菌门(Firmicutes)、绿弯菌门(Chloroflexi)为次优势菌群.甲烷含量较高的中层,甲烷氧化菌(Methanotrophs),硫还原菌(Sulfate-reducing bacteria)等与甲烷密切相关的细菌均有被检测到,表明该区域存在与天然气水合物的分解释放相关的微生物群落.     

Methane cycle in the Barents Sea

Biogeochemical cycle of methane in the Barents Sea was studied using isotope geochemistry to determine the rates of microbial methane oxidation. It was established that microbiological processes (glucose consumption, ¹⁴CO₂ assimilation, sulfate reduction, and slow methane oxidation) in oxidized surface and weakly reduced sediments are marked by only insignificant change in SO ₄ ^2? concentration and absence of notable growth of total alkalinity and N/NH₄ downward the sediment core. Microbial methane productivity was 0.111 × 10⁶ mol day^?1. Taking into account the volume of water column, microbial methane consumption therein can be as much as 1.8 × 10⁶ mol day^?1.     

东寨港红树林沉积物中微生物群落结构特征及其对环境的响应

在红树林覆盖区域和光滩沉积物中存在着丰富的微生物群落,这些微生物在驱动红树林湿地的生物地球化学过程中起着至关重要的作用.深入了解东寨港红树林湿地沉积物中微生物的多样性分布特征,对探究东寨港红树林湿地中的生物地球化学过程和湿地的生态保护具有重要意义.本研究采用Illumina Miseq高通量测序技术,在东寨港的演丰西河...     

南海东沙西南海域冷泉碳酸盐岩特征及其意义

海底冷泉流体或自生碳酸盐沉积可为碳氢化合物(主要指常规油气或天然气水合物)、冷泉生物群落的调查和研究提供有利线索。对东沙群岛海区、神狐海区和ODP184-1146钻孔碳酸盐沉积的特征进行了对比和研究,结果表明这些海区碳酸盐岩的岩性特征、碳氧同位素组成等存在明显差异。东沙群岛海区和神狐海区的碳酸盐岩的化学成分如TFe、A l2O3、TiO2、K2O、Na2O、MnO、P2O5等不同,表明它们可能分别受到了粘土矿物和铁锰氧化物影响。在神狐海区至少发生了一次冷泉流体活动,形成了早晚两期冷泉碳酸盐岩,而在东沙群岛海区发生了至少3次冷泉流体活动,形成了多期冷泉碳酸盐岩,反映了这两个海区碳酸盐沉积的甲烷成因不同,且形成环境也受不同的因素控制。研究揭示,在东沙群岛南部海区可能发育热成因甲烷汇聚的天然气水合物,其海底可能存在冷泉生物群落,这为东沙西南海域天然气水合物和冷泉生物群落的进一步寻找和研究提供了新思路。     

论河北丰宁牛圈银（金）矿床的成矿时限问题

南沙海槽的构造和沉积受控于南海的构造运动和加里曼丹西北大陆边缘的演化,具有适于天然气水合物形成的物源基础、温压条件、输导系统和储藏场所。似海底反射层(BSR)出现在水深650~2 800 m、海底下65~350 m深的晚中新世沉积物中,与褶皱、逆冲推覆构造及穹窿构造有关;沉积物中的甲烷含量和孔隙水的SO24-含量表现出异常变化特征,硫酸盐-甲烷界面(SMI)深度仅为8~11 m;表层沉积的自生石膏和黄铁矿的成岩环境与甲烷流体排溢引起的厌氧甲烷氧化(AOM)有关,这些地球物理和地球化学指标均指示南沙海槽发育天然气水合物。研究表明,南沙海槽沉积物的甲烷以二氧化碳还原型微生物成因为主,少量为混合气,海槽东南部可能是最有潜力的天然气水合物远景区。     

Petroleum degradation and associated microbial signatures at the Chapopote asphalt volcano, Southern Gulf of Mexico

At the Chapopote Knoll in the Southern Gulf of Mexico, deposits of asphalt provide the substrate for a prolific cold seep ecosystem extensively colonized by chemosynthetic communities. This study investigates microbial life and associated biological processes within the asphalts and surrounding oil-impregnated sediments by analysis of intact polar membrane lipids (IPLs), petroleum hydrocarbons and stable carbon isotopic compositions (δ¹³C) of hydrocarbon gases. Asphalt samples are lightly to heavily biodegraded suggesting that petroleum-derived hydrocarbons serve as substrates for the chemosynthetic communities. Accordingly, detection of bacterial diester and diether phospholipids in asphalt samples containing finely dispersed gas hydrate suggests the presence of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria. Biological methanogenesis contributes a substantial fraction to the methane captured as hydrate in the shallow asphalt deposits evidenced by significant depletion in ¹³C relative to background thermogenic methane. In sediments, petroleum migrating from the subsurface stimulates both methanogenesis and methanotrophy at a sulfate-methane transition zone 6-7 m below the seafloor. In this zone, microbial IPLs are dominated by archaeal phosphohydroxyarchaeols and archaeal diglycosidic diethers and tetraethers. Bacterial IPLs dominate surface sediments that are impregnated by severely biodegraded oil. In the sulfate-reduction zone, diagnostic IPLs indicate that sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) play an important role in petroleum degradation. A diverse mixture of phosphohydroxyarchaeols and mixed phospho- and diglycosidic archaeal tetraethers in shallow oil-impregnated sediments point to the presence of anaerobic methane-oxidizing ANME-2 and ANME-1 archaea, respectively, or methanogens. Archaeal IPLs increase in relative abundance with increasing sediment depth and decreasing sulfate concentrations, accompanied by a shift of archaeol-based to tetraether-based archaeal IPLs. The latter shift is suggested to be indicative of a community shift from ANME-2 and/or methanogenic archaea in shallower sediments to ANME-1/methanogenic archaea and possibly benthic archaea in deeper sediments.     

青海湖沉积物中的甾醇及其演化

Ｃ_２７，Ｃ_２８和Ｃ_２９甾醇（△５.２２，△２２，△５和△５.２４（２８）和５α－甾烷醇）在青海湖三孔近代沉积物（ＱＨ，ＱＥ和ＱＯ）中被检出。其中以Ｃ_２９甾醇占优势。在ＱＥ和ＱＧ孔沉积物中还检出了低浓度的三个Ｃ_３０甾醇（４α，２３，２４－三甲基－５α－胆甾－２２Ｅ－烯醇（甲藻甾醇），４α－甲基－２４－乙基－５α－胆甾－２２Ｅ－烯醇和４α－甲基－２４－乙基－５α－胆甾烷醇］。在ＱＨ和ＱＧ孔上部层段沉积物中，Ｃ_２７，Ｃ_２９.饱和的和不饱和的甾醇的碳数分布的平行性，甾烷醇/△５－甾醇及△２２－/△５.２２－甾醇的比值随沉积物埋深而增加提供了甾酸氢化作用的间接证据。青海湖沉积物中的甾醇主要来自湖区丰富的高等植物和湖中的藻类等。在ＱＧ孔８０～１００ｃｍ和１２０～１４０ｃｍ层段沉积物中，５ａ－胆甾烷醇浓度迅速增加可能反映特殊的生物（介形类）对该二层段沉积物中高浓度的胆甾烷醇的贡献。     

南海北部琼东南海域HQ-48PC站位地球化学特征及对天然气水合物的指示意义

南海北部陆坡琼东南海域是中国天然气水合物勘探最具潜力的区域之一。对该海域的HQ-48PC站位沉积物样品的顶空气甲烷含量、孔隙水阴、阳离子及微量元素含量等地球化学特征进行综合分析,结果显示:在硫酸盐-甲烷界面(SMI,Sulfate-Methane Interface)(推算深度约为6.05 mbsf)发生了强烈的甲烷厌氧氧化反应(AMO,Anaerobic Meth-ane Oxidation),主要表现为SO24-含量线性降低接近于0、CH4含量发生骤增、有机碳和黄铁矿含量达到最大值及形成一个"钡锋"等特征。在SMI之上,HCO3-浓度随深度的增加呈明显上升的趋势,Ca2+、Mg2+、Sr2+等离子浓度随深度的增加呈降低的趋势,Mg2+/Ca2+比值随深度的增加呈明显增加的趋势,自生碳酸盐矿物以方解石为主;在SMI之下,HCO3-浓度随深度的增加呈缓慢下降的趋势,Ca2+浓度变化不大,Mg2+、Sr2+浓度和Mg2+/Ca2+比值随深度的增加呈降低的趋势,自生碳酸盐矿物以白云石为主。沉积物孔隙水的PO34-和NH4+含量较高,它们随深度的增加呈明显升高的趋势,且这种变化趋势与SO42-含量的下降趋势大致呈镜像关系。这些地球化学异常特征与国际上已发现有天然气水合物地区的地球化学特征相类似,暗示该采样站位深部沉积物中可能赋存有天然气水合物藏。     

太湖沉积物中微生物多样性垂向分布特征

运用化学分析方法和PCR-DGGE技术,从沉积物化学及分子生物学角度对太湖沉积物理化性质(pH、Eh)、营养盐及微生物多样性的垂向分布及相关性进行研究。结果表明:沉积物-上覆水接触界面处于轻度还原状态,在表层8.0cm左右以下,Eh随沉积深度的增加迅速下降,还原性逐渐增强,到15.0～22.5cm深度区间内,Eh值基本稳定,还原性最强,之后随深度的进一步增加,Eh呈"之"型缓慢升高。沉积物pH随深度的增加先降低后缓慢升高,pH在整个剖面上变化幅度不大,在7.2～7.6变动。沉积物中含有丰富的营养盐,总氮(TN)、总磷(TP)最高含量分数和有机质(OM)的最高百分比分别为2.436mg/g、0.731mg/g和3.817%,其剖面特征表明,沉积物表层TN和OM远高于底层,其含量随深度增加而降低。TP随着沉积深度的增加呈"之"型缓慢减少。不同深度沉积物的微生物群落呈现出明显的空间分布多样性差异,不同深度沉积物的微生物群落结构之间的相似性和动态性存在差异。多元相关分析结果显示,TN与OM显著相关,理化指标、营养盐中任一指标含量与微生物群落多样性指标之间存在相关性,但不显著,微生物多样性是营养盐及环境物理、化学和生物等多方面共同作用的结果。     

Magnetic Susceptibility in Surface Sediments in the Southern South China Sea and Its Implication for Sub-sea Methane Venting

In order to understand the characteristics of magnetic variability and their possible implication for sub-sea methane venting,magnetic susceptibility (MS) of 145 surface sediment samples from the southern South China Sea (SCS) was investigated.Magnetic particles extracted from 20 representative samples were also examined for their mineral,chemical compositions and micromorphology.Results indicate that MS values range between -7.73×10-8 and 45.06x10-8 m3/kg.The high MS zones occur at some hydrecarbon-bearing basins and along main tectonic zones,and low ones are distributed mainly within the river delta or along continental shelves.Iron concretions and manganese concretions are not main contributors for high MS values in sediments,while authigenic iron sulphide minerals are possibly responsible for the MS enhancement.This phenomenon is suspected to be produced by the reducing environment where the high upward venting methane beneath the seafloor reacts with seawater sulfate,resulting in seep precipitation of highly susceptible intermediate mineral pyrrhotite,greigite and paramagnetic pyrite.It suggests that MS variability is possibly one of the geochemical indicators for mapping sub-sea zones of methane venting in the southern SCS.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987115000584

The spatial distribution patterns of surficial sediment samples from different sedimentary domains(shallow to deep-sea regions) of the eastern Arabian Sea were studied using sediment proxies viz.environmental magnetism,geochemistry,particle size and clay mineralogy.Higher concentrations of magnetic minerals(high x_(lf)) were recorded in the deep-water sediments when compared with the shallow water sediments.The magnetic mineralogy of one of the shallow water samples is influenced by the presence of bacterial magnetite as evidenced from the x_(ARM)/x_(lf)~(vs).x_(arm_/x_(fd)biplot.However,the other samples are catchment-derived.The high correlation documented for x_(lf).anhysteretic remanent magnetisation(x_(arm)) and isothermal remanent magnetisation(IRM) with Al indicates that the deep-sea surficial sediments are influenced by terrigenous fluxes which have been probably derived from the southern Indian rivers,the Sindhu(the Indus) and the Narmada-Tapti rivers.A lower Mn concentration is recorded in the upper slope sediments from the oxygen minimum zone(OMZ) but a higher Mn/Al ratio is documented in the lower slope and deep-sea sediments.Clay minerals such as illite(24-48.5%),chlorite(14.1-34.9%),smectite(10.6-28.7%) and kaolinite(11.9-27.5%) dominate the sediments of shallow and deep-sea regions and may have been derived from different sources and transported by fluvial and aeolian agents.Organic carbon(OC) data indicate a low concentration in the shallow/shelf region(well oxygenated water conditions) and deeper basins(increased bottom-water oxygen concentration and low sedimentation rate).High OC concentrations were documented in the OMZ(very low bottom-water oxygen concentration with high sedimentation rate).The calcium carbonate concentration of the surface sediments from the continental shelf and slope regions( 1800 m) up to the Chagos-Laccadive Ridge show higher concentrations(average = 58%) when compared to deep basin sediments(average = 44%).Our study demonstrates that particle size as well as magnetic grain size,magnetic minerals and elemental variations are good indicators to distinguish terrigenous from biogenic sediments and to identify sediment provenance.     

Early diagenesis of fatty acids in lacustrine sediments—III. Changes in fatty acid composition in the sediments from a brackish water lake

A 3-m sediment core taken from Lake Suigetsu, in which a shift from fresh to brackish water occurred about three hundred years ago, has been examined for variation with depth of organic carbon and fatty acids. From the difference in total amounts of sulphur between sediments under fresh and brackish water environments, the surface sediments above approximately 35 cm depth were deduced to be accumulated under a brackish water environment. The total contents of organic carbon and fatty acids, and percentage composition of fatty acids gave discontinuous profiles above and below the 35–40 cm sediment layer. At a depth of 12.5 cm, the distribution in chain length of the fatty acids changed from a unimodal (the predominance of C₁₂-C₁₈ over C₂₀-C₃₄) to a bimodal pattern, which was mirrored by the composition diversity index (CDI).Although the fatty acids in the surface sediments (0–40 cm) from Lake Suigetsu seemed to suffer milder degradation through microbial activity than those in a core (0–150 cm) from Lake Suwa, a freshwater eutrophic lake, both lacustrine sediments showed similar trends in the alteration of fatty acid composition with depth.     

Sulphur cycling in organic-rich marine sediments from a Scottish fjord

In this study, the biogeochemical transformations of sulphur in organic‐rich marine sediments in a Scottish fjord are investigated by a combination of pore water and sediment geochemistry with sulphide diffusive gradient thin‐film probes and sulphate isotopic data (δ³⁴S and δ¹⁸O). Particular attention is paid to sulphur cycling in the upper sediment profile where sulphate reduction occurs but free sulphide is below the detection limits of conventional pore water geochemical analysis but quantifiable by sulphide diffusive gradient thin film. In the uppermost part of the sediment core, δ¹⁸O sulphate decreased from near‐sea water values to +7‰, indicating that anoxic sulphide oxidation dominated during this interval. Sulphate δ³⁴S remained unchanged as there was no net sulphate reduction (i.e. reduction was balanced by re‐oxidation). Below 4 cm depth, there was a slight increase in sulphate δ³⁴S from 20‰ to 23‰ associated with minor accumulation of iron sulphide. The δ¹⁸O of the sulphate also increased, to around +10‰ at 10 cm depth, as a result of the isotopic exchange of sulphate–oxygen with pore water and/or sulphur disproportionation reactions mediated during sulphur cycling. These processes continued to increase the δ¹⁸O of the sulphate to 14‰ at 20 cm depth with no further change in the δ³⁴S of the sulphate. Below 20 cm depth, free sulphide is detectable in pore waters and both the δ³⁴S of the sulphate and sulphide increase with depth with an offset controlled by kinetic fractionation during bacterial sulphate reduction. The δ³⁴S of the sedimentary organic fraction shifted towards lower, more bacteriogenic, values with depth in the profile, without any increase in the size of this sulphur pool. Thus, the organic sulphur fraction was open to interaction with bacteriogenic sulphide without the occurrence of net addition. Therefore, caution should be exercised when using sulphur isotopic compositions to infer simple net addition of bacteriogenic sulphide to the organic sulphur fraction.     

地质历史时期天然气水合物分解释放的地质地球化学证据

巨量天然气水合物广泛赋存于大陆坡海底和高纬度永久冻土带沉积物中,是重要的环境影响因素。有些地质历史时期发生的重大地质灾变可能是由天然气水合物分解释放甲烷引起的。持续时间短暂且显著的全球性海相和陆相碳同位素的负漂移、甲烷起源的极负碳酸盐岩碳同位素值(特别是δ¹³C<-40‰)、碳酸盐岩溶解、指示甲烷浓度异常的生物标志化合物、生物成因重晶石富集、类似冷泉碳酸盐岩发育的特殊沉积组构、海底垮塌及碳酸盐结晶扇(如文石)等是支持天然气水合物分解“假说”的主要证据。但这些证据还存在一定的局限性,该“假说”仍然存在较大的争论,因此需要进一步深入研究。     

南海北部晚中新世红绿韵律层成因的矿物学和地球化学约束

沉积物颜色是其物质组成和形成环境的重要标志,对古海洋古环境重建有特殊指示意义。国际大洋发现计划(IODP)368航次在南海北部钻取的U1502站沉积岩心中发现了上百米红褐色-绿灰色韵律沉积层,但其成因不明。为探究其物源和红绿韵律沉积层的成因,我们对该站位岩心样品开展了矿物学和地球化学分析,包括粒度、黏土矿物、常微量元素和Sr-Nd同位素组成、有机碳含量及碳酸盐碳氧同位素组成分析。物源分析表明,U1502站沉积物陆源输入以珠江为主而吕宋次之,红层相对绿层有稍多的吕宋物质贡献。地球化学指标指示红绿沉积层的形成没有遭受热液、冷泉流体的影响,其形成是南海晚中新世构造演化和冰期-间冰期旋回中水体通风、底层水氧化还原环境改变及早期成岩作用共同影响的结果。结合以前南海北部沉积物源研究及沉积物颜色频谱分析,推测红绿层可能分别对应了间冰期-冰期时间尺度。指标重建指示了红绿层分别形成于偏氧化和偏还原的底层水氧化还原环境。自中中新世以来随着吕宋岛弧与欧亚板块碰撞,南海海盆从开放的环境变得相对封闭,其深部通风和氧化还原条件开始呈现典型的冰期-间冰期旋回模式。红层对应了间冰期高海平面时期南海深层水通风良好、水体偏氧化的沉积环境,而绿层则指示了冰期低海平面时期南海层化加强、水体偏还原的环境。不同的氧化还原条件控制了早期成岩作用中致色含铁自生矿物如赤铁矿的形成与转化,最终引起沉积层颜色韵律变化。     

Molecular biogeochemistry of sulfate reduction, methanogenesis and the anaerobic oxidation of methane at Gulf of Mexico cold seeps

The anaerobic oxidation of methane in aquatic environments is a globally significant sink for a potent greenhouse gas. Significant gaps remain in our understanding of the anaerobic oxidation of methane because data describing the distribution and abundance of putative anaerobic methanotrophs in relation to rates and patterns of anaerobic oxidation of methane activity are rare. An integrated biogeochemical, molecular ecological and organic geochemical approach was used to elucidate interactions between the anaerobic oxidation of methane, methanogenesis, and sulfate reduction in sediments from two cold seep habitats (one brine site, the other a gas hydrate site) along the continental slope in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. The results indicate decoupling of sulfate reduction from anaerobic oxidation of methane and the contemporaneous occurrence of methane production and consumption at both sites. Phylogenetic and organic geochemical evidence indicate that microbial groups previously suggested to be involved in anaerobic oxidation of methane coupled to sulfate reduction were present and active. The distribution and isotopic composition of lipid biomarkers correlated with microbial distributions, although concrete assignment of microbial function based on biomarker profiles was complicated given the observed overlap of competing microbial processes. Contemporaneous activity of anaerobic oxidation of methane and bicarbonate-based methanogenesis, the distribution of methane-oxidizing microorganisms, and lipid biomarker data suggest that the same microorganisms may be involved in both processes.