Community Metabolism in Microbial Mats: The Occurrence of Biologically-mediated Iron and Manganese Reduction

Community metabolism and nutrient, iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) cycling were examined in two intertidal, marine, microbial mat communities during short (4–5 days) incubations in closed, flow-through microcosms. Sediment microcosms were incubated under either light (light–dark cycles) or dark (continuous darkness) conditions to assess the effect(s) of photosynthetic oxygen production and microalgal activity on nutrient, Fe and Mn cycling. The effects of chemical redox reactions between reduced sulphur (S), Fe and Mn cycling were examined by blocking sulphate reduction, and reduced S production, with 25 mM molybdate while incubating under dark conditions.In light-incubated microcosms, negligible fluxes of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) and trace metals were observed. A substantial sediment–water flux of reduced Fe (Fe²⁺) and Mn (Mn²⁺) was observed in microcosms incubated under continuous darkness; highest fluxes were observed in molybdate-amended microcosms. At both sites, biologically-mediated redox reactions accounted for a substantial (>50%) portion of the Fe²⁺and Mn²⁺flux. Both microbial mat communities exhibited similar rates of gross photosynthetic oxygen (O₂) production, but dramatically different rates of net benthic O₂flux. Distinct patterns of net O₂production and trace metal cycling arose from differences in either trace metal oxide availability or reactivity (mineralogy), organic carbon mineralization rates, or sediment characteristics (porosity). Variations in the microbial community responsible for trace metal cycling could have also contributed to the pattern. The present data illustrate that chemically-mediated redox reactions between metal oxides and reduced S complicate interpretation of Fe and Mn fluxes, underscoring the need to separate chemical and biological reactions when attempting to determine the role of biological trace metal reduction in organic carbon oxidation.