Award: OCE-1851099

Most of Earth's seafloor resembles a sediment layer over a rocky basalt crust. Fluid flows within cracks and pores of the basaltic rock representing our planet's largest aquifer, and our planet's largest reservoir of microbial life. Previous studies of this environment have demonstrated that as seawater circulates through this subseafloor aquifer, it reacts chemically with the basaltic rock and can fuel microbial activity. These abiotic and biotic reactions are thought to shape nutrient and energy budgets of the global ocean. While many of the microbial organisms living in this environment have not yet been grown in a lab, their genomes suggests that they possess ancient homologs of enzymes involved in key metabolic pathways thought to be important to Earth's early microbial inhabitants. Additionally, we assume that microorganisms living in this extreme environment (extremely warm with a lack of nutrients and energy), have useful survival enzymes and strategies. Therefore, this supported project seeks to better understand the ecology, evolution, and biotechnological potential within the marine crust.   

Specifically, this collaborative work sought to advance our understanding of ocean basement microorganisms and their viruses by integrating both culturing and sequencing methods using samples collected from previously installed borehole observatories. While microorganisms have been previously cultured from cooler marine crustal environments and hydrothermal vents, none have been cultured from the isolated crustal fluids of the Juan de Fuca Ridge flank. Our collaborative team included scientists and students from three universities and included two research expeditions to the Juan de Fuca Ridge. Our team designed new methods to isolate and grow key microbial groups from the oxygen-free and hot environment (~140˚ F), using previously collected geochemical and genomic datasets to inform our experimental design. Our efforts resulted in the growth of stable isolates. This success now gives us the opportunity to study these microorganisms in controlled experimental conditions to better understand their ecology, evolution, and biotechnological potential. To inform our isolation attempts and future experiments, we also continue to analyze the genomes which were collected from the same site over many years. Together the isolated microorganism and genomic datasets have fueled five undergraduate thesis projects at Hartwick College and will be a source of additional research for years to come. 

This collaborative project provided engaging, cutting-edge research experiences to undergraduate, graduate, postdoctoral scientists, and junior scientists within every aspect of the project. PI-Carr, a junior female faculty member, was trained to be co-chief of the second marine research expedition. At Hartwick College, the project specifically supported the training of eight undergraduate students either through their senior research projects or assistant research opportunity. Three of these undergraduate students experienced training at sea, and a fourth partook in a research summer experience with our collaborators at the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences (East Boothbay, Maine). Five of the students were supported to present their research at professional conferences. Our research was shared with our local community through presentations at the middle school and public library. Finally, through a faculty/student collaboration, a classroom activity was designed to share our research with all introductory biology students. 

Last Modified: 08/28/2025
Modified by: Stephanie A Carr