@article{fdi:010061175,
  title = {{G}iant hydrogen sulfide plume in the oxygen minimum zone off {P}eru supports chemolithoautotrophy},
  author = {{S}chunck, {H}. and {L}avik, {G}. and {D}esai, {D}. {K}. and {G}rosskopf, {T}. and {K}alvelage, {T}. and {L}oscher, {C}. {R}. and {P}aulmier, {A}ur{\'e}lien and {C}ontreras, {S}. and {S}iegel, {H}. and {H}oltappels, {M}. and {R}osenstiel, {P}. and {S}chilhabel, {M}. {B}. and {G}raco, {M}. and {S}chmitz, {R}. {A}. and {K}uypers, {M}. {M}. {M}. and {L}a{R}oche, {J}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{I}n {E}astern {B}oundary {U}pwelling {S}ystems nutrient-rich waters are transported to the ocean surface, fuelling high photoautotrophic primary production. {S}ubsequent heterotrophic decomposition of the produced biomass increases the oxygen-depletion at intermediate water depths, which can result in the formation of oxygen minimum zones ({OMZ}). {OMZ}s can sporadically accumulate hydrogen sulfide ({H}2{S}), which is toxic to most multicellular organisms and has been implicated in massive fish kills. {D}uring a cruise to the {OMZ} off {P}eru in {J}anuary 2009 we found a sulfidic plume in continental shelf waters, covering an area >5500 km(2), which contained similar to 2.2 x 10(4) tons of {H}2{S}. {T}his was the first time that {H}2{S} was measured in the {P}eruvian {OMZ} and with similar to 440 km(3) the largest plume ever reported for oceanic waters. {W}e assessed the phylogenetic and functional diversity of the inhabiting microbial community by high-throughput sequencing of {DNA} and {RNA}, while its metabolic activity was determined with rate measurements of carbon fixation and nitrogen transformation processes. {T}he waters were dominated by several distinct gamma-, delta- and epsilon-proteobacterial taxa associated with either sulfur oxidation or sulfate reduction. {O}ur results suggest that these chemolithoautotrophic bacteria utilized several oxidants (oxygen, nitrate, nitrite, nitric oxide and nitrous oxide) to detoxify the sulfidic waters well below the oxic surface. {T}he chemolithoautotrophic activity at our sampling site led to high rates of dark carbon fixation. {A}ssuming that these chemolithoautotrophic rates were maintained throughout the sulfidic waters, they could be representing as much as similar to 30% of the photoautotrophic carbon fixation. {P}ostulated changes such as eutrophication and global warming, which lead to an expansion and intensification of {OMZ}s, might also increase the frequency of sulfidic waters. {W}e suggest that the chemolithoautotrophically fixed carbon may be involved in a negative feedback loop that could fuel further sulfate reduction and potentially stabilize the sulfidic {OMZ} waters.},
  keywords = {{PEROU} ; {PACIFIQUE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{P}los {O}ne},
  volume = {8},
  numero = {8},
  pages = {e68661},
  ISSN = {1932-6203},
  year = {2013},
  DOI = {10.1371/journal.pone.0068661},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010061175},
}