Files
Abstract
Microbial life in dark, nutrient-poor ecosystems is poorly understood with respect to community composition, population dynamics, metabolic mechanisms, and overall contribution to nutrient cycling on Earth. Microbial metabolism and growth in typical oligotrophic systems such as the hadal zone in the deep sea or the deep subsurface is highly dependent on scavenging of rare, recalcitrant organic carbon for growth. This lifestyle has adapted many of these organisms to persist in a starvation- survival lifestyle in which metabolic processes occur at a very slow rate and doubling times can be measured in years or even decades. This research characterizes microbial dynamics in dark, oligotrophic volcanic environments. The objective of this thesis is to provide new understanding to community succession at hydrothermal vents, what mechanisms are used for primary productivity in dark, oligotrophic environments, and what are the metabolic strategies of the primary producing populations in these communities.