Summary
Aquatic ecosystems are a major source of the potent greenhouse gas methane, accounting for half of the global methane emissions. Biogenic methane is microbially produced in anoxic sediments and typically rapidly consumed by methanotrophic microorganisms, largely limiting emissions to the atmosphere. However, methane concentrations are often elevated in oxic surface waters of oceans and lakes (“methane paradox”). Aerobic methane production in surface waters might constitute a particularly important source of methane, which, due its proximity to the atmosphere, might escape the aquatic “microbial methane filter”. Yet, we currently lack a comprehensive understanding of the involved processes and microorganisms. Moreover, enhanced eutrophication of coastal ocean and lake ecosystems has been linked to increased methane emissions. Despite the immense importance of methane-cycling microorganisms in controlling emissions from these systems, we know remarkably little on how changes in environmental conditions affect their in situ activities.
The METHANIAQ project addresses these knowledge gaps by 1) resolving and quantifying aerobic methane production in surface waters of aquatic ecosystems with different trophic states, and 2) unravelling how eutrophication affects methane-consuming microorganisms in water columns of coastal ocean and lake ecosystems. To tackle these objectives, I will use an innovative combination of approaches, comprising in situ measurements of biogeochemical process rates, manipulation experiments under controlled laboratory conditions, and cutting-edge molecular methods to analyze microbial communities. The proposed approaches will provide an integrated view from the scales of enzymes and microorganisms to ecosystem-level processes spanning marine and freshwater ecosystems. I expect this cross-disciplinary project to generate essential insights into methane cycling dynamics in aquatic ecosystems and their effect on the global climate.
The METHANIAQ project addresses these knowledge gaps by 1) resolving and quantifying aerobic methane production in surface waters of aquatic ecosystems with different trophic states, and 2) unravelling how eutrophication affects methane-consuming microorganisms in water columns of coastal ocean and lake ecosystems. To tackle these objectives, I will use an innovative combination of approaches, comprising in situ measurements of biogeochemical process rates, manipulation experiments under controlled laboratory conditions, and cutting-edge molecular methods to analyze microbial communities. The proposed approaches will provide an integrated view from the scales of enzymes and microorganisms to ecosystem-level processes spanning marine and freshwater ecosystems. I expect this cross-disciplinary project to generate essential insights into methane cycling dynamics in aquatic ecosystems and their effect on the global climate.
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More information & hyperlinks
| Web resources: | https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101116021 |
| Start date: | 01-03-2024 |
| End date: | 28-02-2029 |
| Total budget - Public funding: | 1 497 793,00 Euro - 1 497 792,00 Euro |
Cordis data
Original description
Aquatic ecosystems are a major source of the potent greenhouse gas methane, accounting for half of the global methane emissions. Biogenic methane is microbially produced in anoxic sediments and typically rapidly consumed by methanotrophic microorganisms, largely limiting emissions to the atmosphere. However, methane concentrations are often elevated in oxic surface waters of oceans and lakes (“methane paradox”). Aerobic methane production in surface waters might constitute a particularly important source of methane, which, due its proximity to the atmosphere, might escape the aquatic “microbial methane filter”. Yet, we currently lack a comprehensive understanding of the involved processes and microorganisms. Moreover, enhanced eutrophication of coastal ocean and lake ecosystems has been linked to increased methane emissions. Despite the immense importance of methane-cycling microorganisms in controlling emissions from these systems, we know remarkably little on how changes in environmental conditions affect their in situ activities.The METHANIAQ project addresses these knowledge gaps by 1) resolving and quantifying aerobic methane production in surface waters of aquatic ecosystems with different trophic states, and 2) unravelling how eutrophication affects methane-consuming microorganisms in water columns of coastal ocean and lake ecosystems. To tackle these objectives, I will use an innovative combination of approaches, comprising in situ measurements of biogeochemical process rates, manipulation experiments under controlled laboratory conditions, and cutting-edge molecular methods to analyze microbial communities. The proposed approaches will provide an integrated view from the scales of enzymes and microorganisms to ecosystem-level processes spanning marine and freshwater ecosystems. I expect this cross-disciplinary project to generate essential insights into methane cycling dynamics in aquatic ecosystems and their effect on the global climate.
Status
SIGNEDCall topic
ERC-2023-STGUpdate Date
12-03-2024
Geographical location(s)
