Potential contributions of extremophiles to hydrocarbon resources in marine extreme environments:A review |
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Authors: | Wang Jiasheng Wang Yongbiao and Li Qing |
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Institution: | (1) Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology of Ministry of Education, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China |
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Abstract: | To understand the potential mechanism of marine extremophiles participating in the formation and the evolution of hydrocarbon
resources in marine extreme environments, some typical kinds of extremophiles and their distributions in marine hydrothermal
and cold vents are discussed and evaluated respectively. The potential relationship between extremophile activities and hydrocarbon
resources in marine extreme environments are then discussed in details. It could be now preliminary concluded that archaea
and bacteria are the two main kinds of extremophiles in marine extreme environments. The dominating microbe communities in
hydrothermal vents are heterotrophic zymogens, sulfate reducers and methanogens, while the ANME-2 group (Methanosarcinales) surrounded by sulfate-reducing bacteria and ANME-1 group dominate in cold vents. Marine extremophiles would be able to use
CH4 and H2S to synthesize energy for metabolism and to support food chains for other unique macrobiota nearby, which together present
a high abundance but a low diversity with distinct characteristics of horizontal and vertical distributions. Marine extremophiles
might play an important role either directly or indirectly in the processes of hydrocarbon formation and subsequent alteration,
and could indicate the evolution of hydrocarbon resources in marine extreme environments. Our research thus has a great significance
both in theoretical approach of potential hydrocarbon resources formed by marine extremophile activities and in practical
exploration of the potential hydrocarbonsource sedimentary layers formed in the Earth history or the potential strata in southern
China.
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Translated from Earth Science—Journal of China University of Geosciences, 2007, 32(6): 781–788 译自: 地球科学—中国地质大学学报] |
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Keywords: | marine extreme environment extremophiles hydrocarbon resource potential contribution |
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