Development and assessment of new techniques and approaches for detecting sub-seafloor bacteria and their interaction with geosphere processes

Marine sediments cover 70% of the Earth's surface and contain the largest global reservoir of organic carbon. Surprisingly, high bacterial populations are present in these sediments, to a depth of at least hundreds of metres (deepest current sample 842 m, oldest 14 mya). These bacteria are just not surviving, they are thriving in extreme conditions at these depths; they have high diversity, and are well adapted to life in the subsurface. Bacterial biomass in these sediments represent ca.10% of the total surface biomass, and the sub-seafloor biosphere is a substantial new habitat on Earth.

Existing microbiological techniques are inadequate for the investigation of these deeper samples and hence this interdisciplinary project, funded by the EU in the Fifth Framework Protocol, aims to develop the new techniques and approaches which are needed. The consortium, consisting of microbiologists, organic geochemists and analytical chemists, comprises five member institutions from 3 EU member states.

These web pages provide more information about the aims of the project, including the scientific objectives, as well as some key results.