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7thlec Micro
7thlec Micro
Open ocean the photic zone can extend to 300m, causing a good deal
of biological growth down to 1,000m.
Below this level (75% of ocean volume) the biological activity is less.
3 problems are faced
Low temperature below 1,000m it is a constant 2-30C
High pressure 1 atm/10m. eg at 1,000m it is?
Low nutrient levels
Classes
Psychrophile – hyperthermophiles
Growth at cold temperatures.
Psychrophile opt growth below 150C and max below 200C, grows at 00C.
Psychrotolerant grows at 00C but opt 20-400C.
Psychrophiles found in any permanently cold environment,
can be rapidly killed by room temp. Best known are algae that grow
in the bottom of sea ice in polar regions. Growing in summer months
on the bottom of ice ~ 2m thick.
In summer months also get alga growing under the surface of snowfields
and glaciers giving it a red or green colour.
Summer
snow algae
Psychrotolerant are found in water, milk, coconut water,
soil and lots of other foods kept in a fridge. Growth is slow.
These include bacteria, fungi, algae and protozoa.
As water flows away from the spring it cools down and you
get a temperature gradient.
This supports a range of bacteria including cyanobacteria below 740C.
As the temperature cools further, eukaryotic organisms can grow
like the thermoacidophilic alga Cyanidium Caldarium temp max 560C.
One very common aerobic organism are Thermus
species which are aerobic chemoorganotrophs.
They have a temp optimum ~700C. This is near
the limit of aerobic growth, why?
The max temp that eubacteria have been isolated
have been at 950C.
The only bacteria that have been found growing above
this temp are archebacteria.
Hydrothermal Vents.
Tubeworm video
Seavent.mov
Tubeworm.mov
Energy source.
The vent fluid has a high conc. of H2S, Mn2+, H2, CO, NH4+ .
These are used as inorganic energy sources by chemolithotrophs.
CO32- and HCO3- is fixed into organic carbon.
There are large # sulphur oxidising bacteria, Thiobacillus, Thiothrix
and Beggiatoa, fixing CO2 at expense of H2S and S2O32-.
Nutrition of animals.