Diverse transformations of sulfur in seabird-affected sediments revealed by microbial and stable isotope analyses -- Journal of Oceanology and Limnology,2023,41(1):138-149

	Cite this paper:
	Lili SHEN, Tao HUANG, Yuanqing CHEN, Zhuding CHU, Zhouqing XIE. Diverse transformations of sulfur in seabird-affected sediments revealed by microbial and stable isotope analyses[J]. Journal of Oceanology and Limnology, 2023, 41(1): 138-149

Diverse transformations of sulfur in seabird-affected sediments revealed by microbial and stable isotope analyses

Lili SHEN¹, Tao HUANG^1,2, Yuanqing CHEN¹, Zhuding CHU³, Zhouqing XIE³

1 School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China;
2 Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China;
3 Anhui Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Global Change, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China

Abstract:

Microbial communities, sulfur isotope of sulfides (δ³⁴S_AVS and δ³⁴S_CRS), and sulfur and oxygen isotopes of sulfate (δ³⁴S_SO₄ and δ¹⁸O_SO₄) in sediments were analyzed to reveal the biogeochemical transformations of sulfur in a seabird-affected lake Y2 and a seabird-free YO from Fildes Peninsula, Antarctic Peninsula. The microbial communities in Y2 were mainly associated with penguin activities, while those in YO were limited by nutrients. The much enriched δ³⁴S_SO₄ recorded at depth of 30, 41, and 52 cm in Y2 indicates very strong sulfate reduction therein. The sulfur-degrading bacteria Pseudomonas in 0–23 cm of Y2 was 3.5 times as abundant as that of sulfur oxidizing bacteria (SOB), indicating remarkable remineralization of organic sulfur. The abundant SOB and ³⁴S-depleted sulfate indicate considerable sulfur oxidation in 34–56-cm layer in Y2. In YO sediments, the highest abundance of Desulfotalea and the most enriched δ³⁴S_SO₄ (35.2‰) and δ³⁴S_CRS (2.5‰) indicate the strongest sulfate reduction in 28-cm layer. High abundance of Pseudomonas indicates active remineralization of organic sulfur in 3–5-cm layer in YO. The medium δ³⁴S_SO₄ and considerable abundance of SOB and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) indicate concurrence of sulfur oxidation and sulfate reduction in other layers in YO. Therefore, a high level of organic matter input from penguin populations supported the diverse microbial community and transformations of sulfur in aquatic ecosystems in Antarctica.

Key words: sulfur and oxygen isotope|dissimilatory sulfate reduction|sulfur oxidation|sulfate-reducing bacteria|Antarctica

Received: 2021-06-02 Revised:

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