Rapid de novo assembly of animal-microbe biofilter to mitigate seabed methane leakage
7 affiliations
- 1Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey, China Geological Survey , Guangzhou 511457 ,
- 2National Engineering Research Center of Gas Hydrate Exploration and Development , Guangzhou 511457 ,
- 3State Key Laboratory of Submarine Geoscience, Key Laboratory of Polar Ecosystem and Climate Change, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Polar Life and Environment Sciences, and School of Oceanography, Shanghai Jiao Tong University , Shanghai 200030 ,
- 4Key Laboratory of Marine Biogenetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources , Xiamen 361005 ,
- 5Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543 ,
- 6University of Bremen , Bremen 28359 ,
- 7University of Georgia Department of Marine Sciences, , Athens, GA 30602 ,
Abstract
Anthropogenic and climatic perturbations threaten to destabilize gas hydrates and release methane from its vast subseafloor reservoir. Yet the deep-sea ecosystem responses remain poorly understood. Our multi-year, in situ monitoring of a human-induced methane seep unveiled an exceptionally fast, de novo establishment of a methane-consuming ecosystem within 1–2 years, followed by a rapid succession toward natural mature seeps. Integrated biogeochemical and molecular analyses revealed an unexpectedly parallel proliferation of aerobic methanotrophs (Methyloprofundus), anaerobic methanotrophs (ANME-2e, ANME-3), and opportunistic fauna bioturbating the seabed to >50 cm depths. Within this intensively mixed zone, active animal-microbe interactions sustained rapid methane removal (30–60 mmol/m2/day) through intricate carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur redox coupling. Our work demonstrates that abrupt methane leakage can form an effective animal-microbe ‘methane biofilter’ far quicker than previously estimated, producing new insights into benthic natural mitigation capacity and limit that are critical for risk assessments and climate projections under increasing seabed methane efflux.
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BibTeX
@article{liang2026rapid,
title = {{Rapid de novo assembly of animal-microbe biofilter to mitigate seabed methane leakage}},
author = {Qianyong Liang and Longhui Deng and Ruize Xie and Xinyue Liu and XJ Xiao and Jialin Hou and Jing Wang and Weikang Sui and Ningyuan Lu and Zian Tong and Danyue Huang and Yanwei Wang and Yingchun Han and Jing Zhao and Binbin Guo and W K Zhang and Minghui Geng and Tianxin Ren and Wenqi Ye and Zheng Xiong and Liang Dong and S. Emil Ruff and Christof D. Meile and Jun Tao and Xiyang Dong and Fengping Wang},
journal = {National Science Review},
year = {2026},
month = may,
doi = {10.1093/nsr/nwag266},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwag266},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Rapid de novo assembly of animal-microbe biofilter to mitigate seabed methane leakage
AU - Qianyong Liang
AU - Longhui Deng
AU - Ruize Xie
AU - Xinyue Liu
AU - XJ Xiao
AU - Jialin Hou
AU - Jing Wang
AU - Weikang Sui
AU - Ningyuan Lu
AU - Zian Tong
AU - Danyue Huang
AU - Yanwei Wang
AU - Yingchun Han
AU - Jing Zhao
AU - Binbin Guo
AU - W K Zhang
AU - Minghui Geng
AU - Tianxin Ren
AU - Wenqi Ye
AU - Zheng Xiong
AU - Liang Dong
AU - S. Emil Ruff
AU - Christof D. Meile
AU - Jun Tao
AU - Xiyang Dong
AU - Fengping Wang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/05/14
JO - National Science Review
DO - 10.1093/nsr/nwag266
UR - https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwag266
AB - Anthropogenic and climatic perturbations threaten to destabilize gas hydrates and release methane from its vast subseafloor reservoir. Yet the deep-sea ecosystem responses remain poorly understood. Our multi-year, in situ monitoring of a human-induced methane seep unveiled an exceptionally fast, de novo establishment of a methane-consuming ecosystem within 1–2 years, followed by a rapid succession toward natural mature seeps. Integrated biogeochemical and molecular analyses revealed an unexpectedly parallel proliferation of aerobic methanotrophs (Methyloprofundus), anaerobic methanotrophs (ANME-2e, ANME-3), and opportunistic fauna bioturbating the seabed to >50 cm depths. Within this intensively mixed zone, active animal-microbe interactions sustained rapid methane removal (30–60 mmol/m2/day) through intricate carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur redox coupling. Our work demonstrates that abrupt methane leakage can form an effective animal-microbe ‘methane biofilter’ far quicker than previously estimated, producing new insights into benthic natural mitigation capacity and limit that are critical for risk assessments and climate projections under increasing seabed methane efflux.
SN - 2053-714X
SN - 2095-5138
ER -