Petroleum degradation and associated microbial signatures at the Chapopote asphalt volcano, Southern Gulf of Mexico

Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta

Volumn 75, Issue 16, 2011, Pages 4377-4398

  Schubotz, Florence ^a   Lipp, Julius S ^a   Elvert, Marcus ^a   Kasten, Sabine ^b   Mollar, Xavier Prieto ^a   Zabel, Matthias ^a   Bohrmann, Gerhard ^a   Hinrichs, Kai Uwe ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF BREMEN   (Germany)

^b ALFRED WEGENER INSTITUTE FOR POLAR AND MARINE RESEARCH   (Germany)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ASPHALT; BIOGEOCHEMISTRY; CARBON ISOTOPE; COLD SEEP; DEGRADATION; ISOTOPIC COMPOSITION; METHANOGENESIS; MICROBIAL COMMUNITY; PETROLEUM HYDROCARBON; SEDIMENT ANALYSIS; SEDIMENT CHEMISTRY; SULFATE-REDUCING BACTERIUM;

ATLANTIC OCEAN; GULF OF MEXICO;

ARCHAEA; BACTERIA (MICROORGANISMS);

EID: 79960289729     PISSN: 00167037     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.gca.2011.05.025     Document Type: Article

References (103)

1. Anderson R.T., Lovley D.R. Hexadecane decay by methanogenesis. Nature 2000, 404:722-723.
2. Arning E.T., Birgel D., Schulz-Vogt H.N., Holmkvist L., Jørgensen B.B., Larson A., Peckmann J. Lipid biomaker patterns of phosphogenic sediments from upwelling regions. Geomicrobiol. J. 2008, 25:69-82.
3. Berner U., Faber E. Empirical carbon isotope/maturity relationships for gases from algal kerogens and terrigenous organic matter, based on dry, open-system pyrolysis. Org. Geochem. 1996, 24:947-955.
4. Bernard B.B., Brooks J.M., Sackett W.M. Natural gas seepage in the Gulf of Mexico. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 1976, 31:48-54.
5. Biddle J.F., Lipp J.S., Lever M.A., Lloyd K.G., Sørensen K.B., Anderson R., Fredricks H.F., Elvert M., Kelly T.J., Schrag D.P., Sogin M.L., Brenchley J.E., Teske A., House C.H., Hinrichs K.-U. Heterotrophic Archaea dominate sedimentary subsurface ecosystems off Peru. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2006, 103:3846-3851.
6. Blumenberg M., Seifert R., Reitner J., Pape T., Michaelis W. Membrane lipid patterns typify distinct anaerobic methanotrophic consortia. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2004, 101:11111-11116.
7. Boetius A., Ravenschlag K., Schubert C.J., Rickert D., Widdel F., Gieseke A., Amann R., Jørgensen B.B., Witte U., Pfannkuche O. A marine microbial consortium apparently mediating the anaerobic oxidation of methane. Nature 2000, 407:623-626.
8. Bohrmann G., Spiess V. and Cruise Participants (2008) Report and preliminary results of R/V Meteor cruise M67/2a and 2b, Balboa-Tampico-Bridgetown, 15 March-24 April 2006. Fluid seepage in the Gulf of Mexico, Berichte, No. 263, Fachbereich Geowissenschaften, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany.
9. Borowski W.S., Paull C.K., Ussler W. Marine pore-water sulfate profiles indicate in situ methane flux from underlying gas hydrate. Geology 1996, 24:655-658.
10. Borowski W.S., Paull C.K., Ussler W. Carbon cycling within the upper methanogenic zone of continental rise sediments: an example from the methane-rich sediments overlying the Blake Ridge gas hydrate deposits. Mar. Chem. 1997, 57:299-311.
11. Bray E.E., Evans E.D. Distribution of n-paraffins as a clue to recognition of source beds. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 1961, 22:2-15.
12. Brooks J.M., Kennicutt M.C., Fay R.R., MacDonald T.J. Thermogenic gas hydrates in the Gulf of Mexico. Science 1984, 225:409-411.
13. Brüning M., Sahling H., MacDonald I., Ding F., Bohrmann G. Origin, distribution, and alteration of asphalts at the Chapopote Knoll, southern Gulf of Mexico. Mar. Petrol. Geol. 2010, 27:1093-1106.
14. Caillon E., Lubochinsky B., Rigomier D. Occurrence of dialkyl ether phsopholipids in Stigmatella aurantiaca. J. Bacteriol. 1983, 153:1348-1351.
15. Christie W.W. Lipid Analysis 2003, Oily Press, Bridgewater, UK. third ed.
16. Chung H.M., Gormly J.R., Squires R.M. Origin of gaseous hydrocarbons in subsurface environments: theoretical considerations of carbon isotope distribution. Chem. Geol. 1988, 71:97-103.
17. Connan J. Biodegradation in crude oils in reservoirs. Advances in Petroleum Geochemistry 1984, vol. 1:299-335. Academic Press, London.
18. Dembicki H. Recognizing and compensation for interference from the sediment's background organic matter and biodegradation during interpretation of biomarker data from seafloor hydrocarbon seeps: an example from the Marco Polo area seeps, Gulf of Mexico, USA. Mar. Petrol. Geol. 2010, 27:1936-1951.
19. Dembitsky V.M. Betaine ether-linked glycerolipids: chemistry and biology. Prog. Lipid Res. 1996, 35:1-51.
20. Dickens G.R., Kölling M., Smith D.C., Schnieders L. Rhizon sampling of pore waters on scientific drilling expeditions: an example from the IODP Expedition 302, arctic coring expedition (ACEX). Sci. Drill. 2007, 4:22-25. Scientists.
21. Ding F., Spiess V., Brüning M., Fekete N., Keil H., Bohrmann G. A conceptual model for hydrocarbon accumulation and seepage processes around Chapopote asphalt site, southern Gulf of Mexico: from high resolution seismic point of view. J. Geophys. Res. 2008, 113:B08404.
22. Elvert M., Hopmans E.C., Treude T., Boetius A., Suess E. Spatial variations of methanotrophic consortia at cold methane seeps: implications from a high-resolution molecular and isotopic approach. Geobiology 2005, 3:195-209.
23. Ertefai T.F., Fisher M.C., Fredricks H.F., Lipp J.S., Pearson A., Birgel D., Udert K.M., Cavanaugh C.M., Gschwend P.M., Hinrichs K.-U. Vertical distribution of microbial lipids and functional genes in chemically distinct layers of a highly polluted meromictic lake. Org. Geochem. 2008, 39:1572-1588.
24. Ertefai T.F., Heuer V.B., Prieto-Mollar X., Vogt C., Sylva S.P., Seewald J., Hinrichs K.-U. The biogeochemistry of sorbed methane in marine sediments. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 2010, 74:6033-6048.
25. Fang J., Barcelona M.J., Semrau J.D. Characterization of methanotrophic bacteria on the basis of intact phospholipid profiles. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 2000, 189:67-72.
26. Frysinger G.S., Gaines R.B., Xu L., Reddy C.M. Resolving the unresolved complex mixture in petroleum-contaminated sediments. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2003, 37:1653-1662.
27. Fulco A. Fatty acid metabolism in bacteria. Prog. Lipid Res. 1983, 22:133-160.
28. Garrison L. E. and Martin R. G. (1973) Geologic structures in the Gulf of Mexico Basin. US Geological Survey Professional Paper, vol. 773. US Gov. Print. Off., Washington, DC.
29. Goldfine H., Hagen P.-O. N-methyl groups in bacterial lipids. J. Bacteriol. 1968, 95:367-375.
30. Goldfine H. Bacterial membranes and lipid packing theory. J. Lipid Res. 1984, 25:1501-1507.
31. Guzmán-Vega M.A., Castro Ortíz L., Román-Ramos J.R., Medrano-Morales L., Valdéz L.C., Vázquez-Covarrubias E., Ziga-Rodriguez G. Classification and origin of petroleum in the Mexican Gulf Coast Basin: an overview. The Western Gulf of Mexico Basin: Tectonics, Sedimentary Basins, and Petroleum Systems: AAPG Memoir 75 2001, 127-142. C. Bartolini, R.T. Buffler, A. Cantú-Chapa (Eds.).
32. Haese R.R., Meile C., Van Cappellen P., De Lange G.J. Carbon geochemistry of cold seeps: methane fluxes and transformation in sediments from Kazan mud volcano, easter Mediterranean Sea. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 2003, 212:361-375.
33. Hanson R.S., Hanson T.E. Methanotrophic bacteria. Microbiol. Rev. 1996, 60:439-471.
34. Harvey H.R., Fallon R.D., Patton J.S. The effect of organic matter and oxygen on the degradation of bacterial membrane lipids in marine sediments. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 1986, 50:795-804.
35. Hayes J.M. Fractionation of the isotopes of carbon and hydrogen in biosynthetic processes. Rev. Mineral. Geochem. 2001, 43:225-277.
36. Head I.M., Jones D.M., Larter S.R. Biological activity in the deep subsurface and the origin of heavy oil. Nature 2003, 426:344-352.
37. Head I.M., Jones D.M., Röling W.F.M. Marine microorganisms make a meal of oil. Nat. Rev. Microbiol. 2006, 4:173-182.
38. Hinrichs K.-U., Hayes J.M., Sylva S.P., Brewer P.G., DeLong E.F. Methane-consuming archaebacteria in marine sediments. Nature 1999, 398:802-805.
39. Hinrichs K.-U., Summons R.E., Orphan V., Sylva S.P., Hayes J.M. Molecular and isotopic analysis of anaerobic methane-oxidizing communities in marine sediments. Org. Geochem. 2000, 31:1685-1701.
40. Hinrichs K.-U., Hayes J.M., Bach W., Spivack A.J., Hmelo L.R., Holm N.G., Johnson C.G., Sylva S.P. Biological formation of ethane and propane in the deep marine subsurface. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2006, 31:1685-1701.
41. Hölz G., Dörmann P. Structure and function of glycoglycerolipids in plants and bacteria. Prog. Lipid Res. 2007, 46:225-243.
42. Jørgensen B.B. Mineralization of organic matter in the sea bed - the role of sulphate reduction. Nature 1982, 296:643-645.
43. Joye S.B., Boetius A., Orcutt B.N., Montoya J.P., Schulz H.N., Erickson M.J., Lugo S.K. The anaerobic oxidation of methane and sulfate reduction in sediments from Gulf of Mexico cold seeps. Chem. Geol. 2004, 205:219-238.
44. Joye S.B., Samarkin V.A., Orcutt B.N., MacDonald I.R., Hinrichs K.-U., Elvert M., Teske A., Lloyd K.G., Lever M.A., Montoya J.P., Meile C.D. Metabolic variability in seafloor brines revealed by carbon and sulphur dynamics. Nat. Geosci. 2009, 2:349-354.
45. Kates M. Bacterial lipids. Adv. Lipid Res. 1964, 2:17-90.
46. Kennicutt M.C., Brooks J.M., Denoux G.J. Leakage of deep, reservoired petroleum to the near surface on the Gulf of Mexico continental slope. Mar. Chem. 1988, 24:39-59.
47. Klapp S.A., Bohrmann G., Kuhs W.F., Murshed M.M., Pape T., Klein H., Techmer K.S., Heeschen K., Abegg F. Microstructures of structure I and II gas hydrate from the Gulf of Mexico. Mar. Petrol. Geol. 2010, 27:116-125.
48. Koga Y., Morii H., Akagawa-Matsushita M., Ohga M. Correlation of polar lipid composition with 16S rRNA phylogeny in methanogens. Further analysis of lipid component parts. Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem. 1998, 69:230-236.
49. Koga Y., Morii H. Recent advances in structural research in ether lipids from archaea including comparative and physiological aspects. Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem. 2005, 69:2019-2034.
50. Kristjannson J.K., Schönheit P., Thauer R.K. Different Kp values for hydrogen of the methanogenic bacteria and sulfate-reducing bacteria: an explanation for the apparent inhibition of methanogenesis by sulfate. Arch. Microbiol. 1982, 131:278-282.
51. Kvenvolden K. A. and MacDonald T. J. (1986) Organic geochemistry on the JOIDES resolution - an essay. ODP Tech. Note 6.
52. Langworthy T.A., Pond J.L. Archaeabacterial ether lipids and chemotaxonomy. Syst. Appl. Microbiol. 1986, 7:253-257.
53. Lechevalier M.P., Moss C.W. Lipids in bacterial taxonomy - a taxonomist's view. Crit. Rev. Microbiol. 1977, 5:109-210.
54. Lipp J.S., Morono Y., Inagaki F., Hinrichs K.-U. Significant contribution of Archaea to extant biomass in marine subsurface sediments. Nature 2008, 454:991-994.
55. Lipp J.S., Hinrichs K.-U. Structural diversity and fate of intact polar lipids in marine sediments. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 2009, 73:6816-6833.
56. Lloyd K.G., Lapham L., Teske A. An anaerobic methane-oxidizing community of ANME-1b Archaea in Hypersaline Gulf of Mexico sediments. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 2006, 72:7218-7230.
57. MacDonald I.R., Guinasso N.I., Reilly J.F., Brooks J.M., Callender W.R., Gabrielle S.G. Gulf of Mexico hydrocarbon seep communities: VI. Patterns in community structure and habitat. Geo-Mar. Lett. 1990, 10:244-252.
58. MacDonald I.R., Guinasso N.I., Ackleson S.G., Amos J.F., Duckworth R., Sassen R., Brooks J.M. Natural oil slicks in the Gulf of Mexico visible from space. J. Geophys. Res. 1993, 98:16351-16364.
59. MacDonald I.R., Bohrmann G., Escobar E., Abegg F., Blanchon P., Blinova V., Brückmann W., Drews M., Eisenhauer A., Han X., Heeschen K., Meier F., Mortera C., Naehr T., Orcutt B., Bernard B., Brooks J., de Faragó M. Asphalt volcanism and chemosynthetic life in the Campeche Knolls, Gulf of Mexico. Science 2004, 304:999-1002.
60. Makula R.A., Finnerty W.R. Isolation and characterization of an ornithine-containing lipid from Desulfovibrio gigas. J. Bacteriol. 1975, 123:523-529.
61. Martin R.G., Case J.E. Geophysical studies in the Gulf of Mexico. Ocean Basins and Margins, Vol. 3, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean 1975, 65-106. Plenum, New York. A.E.M. Nairn, F.G. Stehli (Eds.).
62. Musat F., Galushko A., Jacob J., Widdel F., Kube M., Reinhardt R., Wilkes H., Schink B., Rabus R. Anaerobic degradation of naphthalene and 2-methylnaphthalene by strains of marine sulfate-reducing bacteria. Environ. Microbiol. 2009, 11:209-219.
63. Naehr T.H., Birgel D., Bohrmann G., MacDonald I., Kasten S. Biogeochemical controls on authigenic carbonate formation at the Chapopote "asphalt volcano", Bay of Campeche. Chem. Geol. 2009, 266:390-402.
64. Niemann H., Elvert M. Diagnostic lipid biomarker and stable carbon isotope signatures of mcirobial communities mediating the anaerobic oxidation of methane with sulphate. Org. Geochem. 2008, 39:1668-1677.
65. Niewöhner C., Hensen C., Kasten S., Zabel M., Schulz H.D. Deep sulfate reduction completely mediated by anaerobic methane oxidation in sediments of the upwelling area off Namibia. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 1998, 62:455-464.
66. Orcutt B., Boetius A., Elvert M., Samarking V., Joye S.B. Molecular biogeochemistry of sulfate reduction, methanogenesis and the anaerobic oxidation of methane at Gulf of Mexico cold seeps. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 2005, 69:4267-4281.
67. Orphan V.J., House C., Hinrichs K.-U., McKeegan K.D., DeLong E.F. Methane-consuming archaea revealed by directly coupling isotopic and phylogenetic analysis. Science 2001, 293:484-487.
68. Orphan V.J., Ussler W., Nähr T., House C.H., Hinrichs K.-U., Paull C.K. Geological, geochemical, and microbiological heterogeneity of the seafloor around methane vents in the Eel River Basin, offshore California. Chem. Geol. 2004, 205:265-289.
69. Pancost R.D., Bouloubassi I., Aloisi G., Sinninghe Damsté J.S. Three series of non-isoprenoidal dialkyl glycerol diether cold-seep carbonate crusts. Org. Geochem. 2001, 32:695-707. the Medinaut Shipboard Scientific Party.
70. Peters K.E., Moldowan J.M. The Biomarker Guide: Interpreting Molecular Fossils in Petroleum and Ancient Sediments 1993, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
71. Peters K.E., Walters C.W., Moldowan J.M. The Biomarker Guide 2005, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. second ed.
72. Rabus R., Nordhaus R., Ludwig W., Widdel F. Complete oxidation of toluene under strictly anoxic conditions by a new sulfate-reducing bacterium. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 1993, 59:1444-1451.
73. Reitz A., Haeckel M., Wallmann K., Hensen C., Heeschen K. Origin of salt-enriched pore fluids in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 2007, 259:266-282.
74. Riedinger N., Pfeifer K., Kasten S., Garming J.F.L., Vogt C., Hensen C. Diagenetic alteration of magnetic signals by anaerobic oxidation of methane related to a change in sedimentation rate. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 2005, 69:4117-4126.
75. Rossel P.E., Lipp J.S., Fredricks H.F., Arnds J., Boetius A., Elvert M., Hinrichs K.-U. Intact polar lipids of anaerobic methanotrophic archaea and associated bacteria. Org. Geochem. 2008, 39:992-999.
76. Rossel P.E., Elvert M., Ramette A., Boetius A., Hinrichs K.-U. Factors controlling the distribution of anaerobic methanotrophic communities in marine environments: evidence from intact polar membrane lipids. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 2011, 75:164-184.
77. Rueter P., Rabus R., Wilkes H., Aeckersberg F., Rainey F.A., Jannasch H.W., Widdel F. Anaerobic oxidation of hydrocarbons in crude oil by new types of sulphate-reducing bacteria. Nature 1994, 372:455-458.
78. Rütters H., Sass H., Cypionka H., Rullkötter J. Monoalkylether phospholipids in the sulfate-reducing bacteria Desulfosarcina variabilis and Desulforhabdus amnigenus. Arch. Microbiol. 2001, 176:435-442.
79. Rütters H., Sass H., Cypionka H., Rullkötter J. Phospholipid analysis as a tool to study complex microbial communities in marine sediments. J. Microbiol. Methods 2002, 48:149-160.
80. Sassen R., Roberts H.H., Aharon P., Chinn E.W., Carnay R. Chemosynthetic bacterial mats at cold hydrocarbon seeps, Gulf of Mexico continental slope. Org. Geochem. 1993, 20:77-89.
81. Sassen R., Milkov A.V., Roberts H.H., Sweet S.T., DeFreitas D.A. Geochemical evidence of rapid hydrocarbon venting form a seafloor-piercing mud diapir, Gulf of Mexico continental shelf. Mar. Geol. 2003, 198:319-329.
82. Schubotz F., Wakeham S.G., Lipp J.S., Fredricks H.F., Hinrichs K.-U. Detection of microbial biomass by intact polar membrane lipid analysis in the water column and surface sediments of the Black Sea. Environ. Microbiol. 2009, 11:2720-2734.
83. Schubotz F., Lipp J.S., Elvert M., Hinrichs K.-U. Stable carbon isotopic compositions of intact polar lipids of hydrocarbon degrading microbial communities at the Chapopote asphalt volcano in the southern Gulf of Mexico. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 2011, 75:4399-4415.
84. Schouten S., Middelburg J.J., Hopmans E.C., Sinninghe Damsté J.S. Fossilization and degradation in intact polar lipids in deep subsurface sediments: a theoretical approach. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 2010, 74:3806-3814.
85. Seeberg-Elverfeldt J., Schlüter M., Feseker T., Kölling M. Rhizon sampling of porewaters near the sediment-water interface in aquatic systems. Limnol. Oceanogr. Methods 2005, 3:361-371.
86. Seidel M. (2009) Intakte polare Membranlipide als Biomarker zur Charakterisierung mikrobieller Lebensgemeinschaften in Wattsedimenten. Ph.D. disseration, Carl-von-Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Germany.
87. Sohlenkamp C., López-Lara I.M., Geiger O. Biosynthesis of phosphatidycholine in bacteria. Prog. Lipid Res. 2003, 42:115-162.
88. Solomon E.A., Kastner M., MacDonald I.R., Leifer I. Considerable methane fluxes to the atmosphere from hydrocarbon seeps in the Gulf of Mexico. Nat. Geosci. 2009, 2:561-565.
89. Stadnitskaia A., Bouloubassi I., Elvert M., Hinrichs K.-U., Sinninghe Damsté J.S. Extended hydroxyarchaeol, a novel lipid biomarker for anaerobic methanotrophy in cold seepage habitats. Org. Geochem. 2008, 39:1007-1014.
90. Strpoć D., Picardal F.W., Turich C., Schaperdoth I., Macalady J.I., Lipp J.S., Lin Y.-S., Ertefai T.F., Schubotz F., Hinrichs K.-U., Mastalerz M., Schimmelmann A. Methane-producing microbial community in a coal bed of the Illinois Basin. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 2008, 74:2424-2432.
91. Sturt H.F., Summons R.E., Smith K., Elvert M., Hinrichs K.U. Intact polar membrane lipids in prokaryotes and sediments deciphered by high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization multistage mass spectrometry - new biomarkers for biogeochemistry and microbial ecology. Rapid Commun. Mass. Spectrom. 2004, 18:617-628.
92. Trumbore S.E., Druffel E.R.M. Carbon isotopes for characterizing sources and turnover of nonliving organic matter. Role of Nonliving Organic Matter in Earth's Carbon Cycle 1995, 7-22. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester. R.G. Zepp, C. Sonntag (Eds.).
93. US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Geophysical Data Center, 2001. 2-minute Gridded Global Relief Data (ETOPO2).
94. Valentine D.L., Reddy C.M., Farwell C., Hill T.M., Pizarro O., Yoerger D.R., Camilli R., Nelson R.K., Peacock E.E., Bagby S.C., Clarke B.A., Roman C.N., Soloway M. Asphalt volcanoes as a potential source of methane to late Pleistocene coastal waters. Nat. Geosci. 2010, 3:345-348.
95. Van Mooy B.A.S., Fredricks H.F., Pedler B.E., Dyhrman S.T., Karl D.M., Koblízek M., Loma M.W., Mincer T.J., Moore L.R., Moutin T., Rappé M.S., Webb E.A. Phytoplankton in the ocean use non-phosphorous lipids in response to phosphorous scarcity. Nature 2009, 458:69-72.
96. Vieth A., Wilkes H. Deciphering biodegradation effects on light hydrocarbons in crude oils using their stable carbon isotope composition: a case study from the Gullfaks oil field: offshore Norway. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 2006, 70:651-665.
97. Wardlaw G.D., Arey J.S., Reddy C.M., Nelson R.K., Ventura G.T., Valentine D.L. Disentangeling oil weathering at a marine seep using GCxGC: broad metabolic specificity accompanies subsurface petroleum biodegradation. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2008, 42:7166-7173.
98. Welte D.H., Kratochvil H., Rullkötter J., Ladwein H., Schaefer R.G. Organic geochemistry of crude oils from the Vienna Basin and an assessment of their origin. Chem. Geol. 1982, 35:33-68.
99. Wenger L.M., Isaksen G.H. Control of hydrocarbon seepage intensity on level of biodegradation in sea bottom sediments. Org. Geochem. 2002, 33:1277-1292.
100. White D.C., Davis W.M., Nickels J.S., King J.D., Bobbie R.J. Determination of the sedimentary microbial biomass by extractable lipid phosphate. Oecologia 1979, 40:51-62.
101. Whiticar M.J. Carbon and hydrogen isotope systematics of bacterial formation and oxidation of methane. Chem. Geol. 1999, 161:291-314.
102. Widdel F., Boetius A., Rabus R. Anaerobic biodegradation of hydrocarbons including methane. The Prokaryote 2003, 1028-1049. Springer-Verlag, New York, NY. third ed. A. Balows, H.G. Trüper, W. Dworkin, W. Harder, K.-H. Schleifer (Eds.).
103. Zengler K., Richnow H.H., Rosselló-Mora R., Michaelis W., Widdel F. Methane formation from long-chain alkanes by anaerobic microorganisms. Nature 1999, 401:266-269.