Sediment methane and sulfate concentrations and radiotracer anaerobic methane oxidation and sulfate reduction rates in the Gulf of California during R/V Atlantis cruise AT50-22 in 2024

Website: https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/1000873
Data Type: Cruise Results
Version: 1
Version Date: 2026-09-04

Project
» Collaborative research: Regulation and dynamics of microbial communities and biogeochemical cycling in hydrothermally-influenced habitats in the Gulf of California (GoC Microbial Biogeochem)
ContributorsAffiliationRole
Joye, Samantha B.University of Georgia (UGA)Principal Investigator
Hunter, KimberleyUniversity of Georgia (UGA)Scientist
Mickle, AudreyWoods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI BCO-DMO)BCO-DMO Data Manager

Abstract
This dataset presents sediment porewater methane and sulfate concentrations along with anaerobic methane oxidation and sulfate reduction rates measured via radiotracer incubations, collected from Guaymas Basin and Pescadero Basin in the Gulf of California during R/V Atlantis cruise AT50-22 (April 6–30, 2024). Sediment samples were obtained using HOV Alvin push cores and sectioned into discrete depth intervals, with porewater and whole sediment subsamples analyzed for geochemical constituents and biogeochemical rate processes. This dataset contains site, dive, location, depth, and depth-interval information paired with methane and sulfate concentrations and corresponding AOM and sulfate reduction rates, along with collection dates and times. These data provide insight into methane cycling and sulfate reduction dynamics in hydrothermally-influenced sediments of the Gulf of California.


Coverage

Location: Gulf of California; Guaymas Basin (27°00.00′ N, 111°24.00′ W); Pescadero Basin (24°00.00′ N, 108°51.00′ W)
Spatial Extent: N:27.58194 E:-108.85566 S:23.94152 W:-111.46374
Temporal Extent: 2024-04-08 - 2024-04-25

Methods & Sampling

Sediment samples were collected by the HOV Alvin using PVC push cores. Upon arrival at the surface, the cores were described and cataloged prior to being sectioned into discrete 3 cm depth intervals. Methane samples were collected first.  Porewater was separated from the sediment using a manually-actuated porewater press as described by Joye et al., 2004. Whole sediment subsamples for radiotracer sulfate reduction rates and anaerobic oxidation of methane rates were collected in triplicate from a parallel core and were handled, injected, incubated, and analyzed using the methods described in Joye et al., 2004.

CH4: Methane samples (3 cc whole sediment) were collected into a glass serum vial, preserved with 2 mL 2 M N₂-purged NaOH, crimp-sealed with a butyl rubber stopper and stored at room temperature until analysis. Concentrations were determined by headspace analysis using an SRI 8610 GC-FID with Agilent J&W HP-PLOT Al2O3 S Capillary Column, 50 m, 0.53 mm, 15.00 μm (Prod. No. 19095P-S25E). See Joye et al., 2004.

SO4: Water sample was filtered through a pre-rinsed 0.2 μm regenerated cellulose Target2 syringe filter (Thermo Scientific, Prod. No. F25047) into a 7 mL scintillation vial. Samples were acidified with 10 μL of concentrated HNO3 per 1 mL sample, sealed with a PTFE-lined cap, and stored at room temperature until analysis. Sample analysis was performed with a Dionex Integrion HPIC using KOH eluent supplied by a Dionex EGC 500 KOH Eluent Generator Cartridge (Prod. No. 075778), Dionex CR-ATC Continuously Regenerated Trap Column (Prod. No. 088662), Dionex ADRS 600 Dynamically Regenerated Suppressor (Prod. No. 088666), Dionex IonPac AG18 Guard Column (Prod. No. 060551), Dionex IonPac AS18 Analytical Column (Prod. No. 060549) and Dionex CRD 200 Carbonate Removal Device (Prod. No. 062983). See Weston et al., 2006.


Data Processing Description

CH4 data was processed using SRI Instruments PeakSimple software.  SO4 data was processed using DIONEX Chromeleon software.  Radioisotope data was processed using PerkinElmer QuantaSmart software.


BCO-DMO Curation Notes

This section documents curation actions performed prior to publication review with the submitter, and additional information relevant to understanding and reusing this dataset. It distinguishes changes made to the submitted (meta)data from unresolved issues and/or enhancements that improve future reuse and interoperability.

CURATION ACTIONS PERFORMED ON DATA

- Loaded AT50-22 Sediment Rates V2.xlsx (Sheet1), header row 8, units row 9 skipped, blank trailing columns dropped, missing values "", "nd", "ND"
- Renamed columns to BCO-DMO convention: Collection Date to Collection_Date, Collection Time to Collection_Time, Alvin Dive # to Alvin_Dive_number, Lat (N) to Lat, Long (W) to Long, Depth Range to Depth_Range, Mid-point Depth to Midpoint_Depth, Sulfate Reduction to Sulfate_Reduction, Anaerobic Methane Oxidation to Anaerobic_Methane_Oxidation
- Normalized Collection_Date values: slashes converted to hyphens, single-digit day zero-padded, single-digit month zero-padded, yielding consistent dd-mm-yy hyphenated format
- Converted Collection_Date from dd-mm-yy string to ISO date (%Y-%m-%d)
- Extracted non-numeric values from SO4 column into new SO4_flag column (suffix _flag), preserving metadata, isolating "BDL" (below detection limit) entries from numeric sulfate values
- Combined Collection_Date and Collection_Time into new datetime column Collection_DateTime, ISO 8601 formatted
- Reordered columns: Site, Collection_DateTime, Collection_Date, Collection_Time, Alvin_Dive_number, Lat, Long, Depth, Depth_Range, Midpoint_Depth, CH4, SO4, SO4_flag, Anaerobic_Methane_Oxidation, Sulfate_Reduction
- Output as 1000873_v1_at50_22_sediment_rates.csv

CURATION ACTIONS PERFORMED ON METADATA

- BCO-DMO's standard metadata entry and text formatting steps were performed.
- Used the provided information to add context to the abstract.

ISSUES POTENTIALLY IMPACTING REUSE

- Collection times provided do not clarify timezone.


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Related Publications

Joye, S. B., Boetius, A., Orcutt, B. N., Montoya, J. P., Schulz, H. N., Erickson, M. J., & Lugo, S. K. (2004). The anaerobic oxidation of methane and sulfate reduction in sediments from Gulf of Mexico cold seeps. Chemical Geology, 205(3-4), 219–238. doi:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2003.12.019
Methods
Sibert, R., Samarkin, V. A., & Joye, S. B. (2016). Protocols for Radiotracer Estimation of Methane Oxidation Rates at In Situ Methane Concentrations in Marine Sediments. Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology Protocols, 277–303. https://doi.org/10.1007/8623_2016_229
Methods
Weston, N. B., Porubsky, W. P., Samarkin, V. A., Erickson, M., Macavoy, S. E., & Joye, S. B. (2006). Porewater Stoichiometry of Terminal Metabolic Products, Sulfate, and Dissolved Organic Carbon and Nitrogen in Estuarine Intertidal Creek-bank Sediments. Biogeochemistry, 77(3), 375–408. doi:10.1007/s10533-005-1640-1
Methods

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Parameters

ParameterDescriptionUnits
Site

Site name

unitless
Collection_DateTime

Datetime of sample collection

unitless
Collection_Date

Date of sample collection

unitless
Collection_Time

Time of sample collection (24 hr)

unitless
Alvin_Dive_number

Alvin dive number

unitless
Lat

Latitude of sample collection, positive is North

decimal degrees
Long

Longitude of sample collection, negative is West

decimal degrees
Depth

Seafloor depth from which sample was collected

meters (m)
Depth_Range

The depth interval below the seafloor from which the sample was taken. OLW = Overlying water sample.

centimeters (cm)
Midpoint_Depth

The mid-point depth of the sediment layer from which the sample was taken. OLW = Overlying water sample.

centimeters (cm)
CH4

Methane. Method detection limit = 1 µM

micromolar (µM)
SO4

Sulfate. Method detection limit = 0.1 mM. See SO4_flag for Below detection limit indicator

millimolar (mM)
SO4_flag

Sulfate indicator: BDL = Below detection limit. Method detection limit = 0.1 mM

unitless
Anaerobic_Methane_Oxidation

Anaerobic oxidation of methane rate

nmol cm⁻³ d⁻¹
Sulfate_Reduction

Sulfate reduction rate

nmol cm⁻³ d⁻¹


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Instruments

Dataset-specific Instrument Name
SRI 8610 GC-FID
Generic Instrument Name
Gas Chromatograph
Dataset-specific Description
Concentrations were determined by headspace analysis using an SRI 8610 GC-FID with Agilent J&W HP-PLOT Al2O3 S Capillary Column, 50 m, 0.53 mm, 15.00 μm (Prod. No. 19095P-S25E).
Generic Instrument Description
Instrument separating gases, volatile substances, or substances dissolved in a volatile solvent by transporting an inert gas through a column packed with a sorbent to a detector for assay. (from SeaDataNet, BODC)

Dataset-specific Instrument Name
HOV Alvin
Generic Instrument Name
HOV Alvin
Dataset-specific Description
Sediment samples were collected by the HOV Alvin using PVC push cores. 
Generic Instrument Description
Human Occupied Vehicle (HOV) Alvin is part of the National Deep Submergence Facility (NDSF). Alvin enables in-situ data collection and observation by two scientists to depths reaching 6,500 meters, during dives lasting up to ten hours. Commissioned in 1964 as one of the world’s first deep-ocean submersibles, Alvin has remained state-of-the-art as a result of numerous overhauls and upgrades made over its lifetime. The most recent upgrades, begun in 2011 and completed in 2021, saw the installation of a new, larger personnel sphere with a more ergonomic interior; improved visibility and overlapping fields of view; longer bottoms times; new lighting and high-definition imaging systems; improved sensors, data acquisition and download speed.  It also doubled the science basket payload, and improved the command-and-control system allowing greater speed, range and maneuverability. With seven reversible thrusters, it can hover in the water, maneuver over rugged topography, or rest on the sea floor.  It can collect data throughout the water column, produce a variety of maps and perform photographic surveys.  Alvin also has two robotic arms that can manipulate instruments, obtain samples, and its basket can be reconfigured daily based on the needs of the upcoming dive. Alvin's depth rating of 6,500m gives researchers in-person access to 99% of the ocean floor.  Alvin is a proven and reliable platform capable of diving for up to 30 days in a row before requiring a single scheduled maintenance day.  Recent collaborations with autonomous vehicles such as Sentry have proven extremely beneficial, allowing PIs to visit promising sites to collect samples and data in person within hours of their being discovered, and UNOLs driven technological advances have improved the ability for scientific outreach and collaboration via telepresence Alvin is named for Allyn Vine, a WHOI engineer and geophysicist who helped pioneer deep submergence research and technology. (from https://www.whoi.edu/what-we-do/explore/underwater-vehicles/hov-alvin/, accessed 2022-09-09)

Dataset-specific Instrument Name
VWR refrigerated incubator model 89508-420
Generic Instrument Name
Incubator
Dataset-specific Description
Whole sediment subsamples for radiotracer sulfate reduction rates and anaerobic oxidation of methane rates were collected in triplicate from a parallel core and were handled, injected, incubated, and analyzed using the methods described in Joye et al., 2004.
Generic Instrument Description
A device in which environmental conditions (light, photoperiod, temperature, humidity, etc.) can be controlled. Note: we have more specific terms for shipboard incubators (https://www.bco-dmo.org/instrument/629001) and in-situ incubators (https://www.bco-dmo.org/instrument/494).

Dataset-specific Instrument Name
Dionex Integrion HPIC with Dionex AS-AP Autosampler
Generic Instrument Name
Ion Chromatograph
Dataset-specific Description
Sample analysis was performed with a Dionex Integrion HPIC using KOH eluent supplied by a Dionex EGC 500 KOH Eluent Generator Cartridge (Prod. No. 075778), Dionex CR-ATC Continuously Regenerated Trap Column (Prod. No. 088662), Dionex ADRS 600 Dynamically Regenerated Suppressor (Prod. No. 088666), Dionex IonPac AG18 Guard Column (Prod. No. 060551), Dionex IonPac AS18 Analytical Column (Prod. No. 060549) and Dionex CRD 200 Carbonate Removal Device (Prod. No. 062983).
Generic Instrument Description
Ion chromatography is a form of liquid chromatography that measures concentrations of ionic species by separating them based on their interaction with a resin. Ionic species separate differently depending on species type and size. Ion chromatographs are able to measure concentrations of major anions, such as fluoride, chloride, nitrate, nitrite, and sulfate, as well as major cations such as lithium, sodium, ammonium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium in the parts-per-billion (ppb) range. From: http://serc.carleton.edu/microbelife/research_methods/biogeochemical/ic....

Dataset-specific Instrument Name
Perkin Elmer Tri-Carb 2910TR liquid scintillation counter
Generic Instrument Name
Liquid Scintillation Counter
Dataset-specific Description
Perkin Elmer Tri-Carb 2910TR liquid scintillation counter
Generic Instrument Description
Liquid scintillation counting is an analytical technique which is defined by the incorporation of the radiolabeled analyte into uniform distribution with a liquid chemical medium capable of converting the kinetic energy of nuclear emissions into light energy. Although the liquid scintillation counter is a sophisticated laboratory counting system used to quantify the activity of particulate emitting (ß and a) radioactive samples, it can also detect the auger electrons emitted from 51Cr and 125I samples. Liquid scintillation counters are instruments assaying alpha and beta radiation by quantitative detection of visible light produced by the passage of rays or particles through a suitable scintillant incorporated into the sample.

Dataset-specific Instrument Name
PVC push cores
Generic Instrument Name
Push Corer
Dataset-specific Description
Sediment samples were collected by the HOV Alvin using PVC push cores. 
Generic Instrument Description
Capable of being performed in numerous environments, push coring is just as it sounds. Push coring is simply pushing the core barrel (often an aluminum or polycarbonate tube) into the sediment by hand. A push core is useful in that it causes very little disturbance to the more delicate upper layers of a sub-aqueous sediment. Description obtained from: http://web.whoi.edu/coastal-group/about/how-we-work/field-methods/coring/

Dataset-specific Instrument Name
manually-actuated porewater press
Generic Instrument Name
Sediment Porewater Sampler
Dataset-specific Description
Porewater was separated from the sediment using a manually-actuated porewater press as described by Joye et al. 2004. 
Generic Instrument Description
A device that collects samples of pore water from various horizons below the seabed.


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Deployments

AT50-22

Website
Platform
R/V Atlantis
Start Date
2024-04-06
End Date
2024-04-30
Description
Project: Collaborative research: Regulation and dynamics of microbial communities and biogeochemical cycling in hydrothermally-influenced habitats in the Gulf of California Chief: Joye, Samantha


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Project Information

Collaborative research: Regulation and dynamics of microbial communities and biogeochemical cycling in hydrothermally-influenced habitats in the Gulf of California (GoC Microbial Biogeochem)

Coverage: Gulf of California


NSF Award Abstract:
Oceanic hydrothermal ecosystems have captivated the imagination of scientists and the general public since their discovery ~40 years ago. These habitats are characterized by extremes in temperature and pH, low oxygen concentrations, and high concentrations of toxic metals. Despite this, these ecosystems support rich and abundant microbial communities that achieve high rates of biogeochemical cycling. This project supports unprecedented studies to identify the impact of chemical regimes on microbial and viral community composition, diversity, and activity in areas in the Gulf of California along a range of hydrothermalism and dissolve oxygen levels. The project provides training opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students. Results are communicated through talks and lectures, publications, and data sharing through public repositories. The work will be shared through Ocean Discovery Camp and Clubs for diverse middle school students, displays at the Georgia Museum of Art, and a collaboration with the BBC Planet Earth III – Oceans team. Through these cumulative efforts, the project will forge a strong legacy in education and in fostering ocean literacy and promoting ocean advocacy in the general public.

The Gulf of California is a system where hydrothermal fluids flow through and alter sediment prior to discharge into deep waters. In sediments, fluid flow modulates biological dynamics through changes in carbon loading and electron accepter availability. In the water column, inorganic and organic energy sources are injected into hypoxic deep waters, creating dynamic chemical niches. This project studies how gradients in geochemistry shape and modulate the microbial and viral communities that carry out key biogeochemical reactions in sediments and in the water column of Guaymas and Pescadero Basins. The research integrates data streams from biogeochemistry, genomics, and microbiology, including single-cell activity approaches, to achieve unprecedented insight into regulatory mechanisms and dynamics. The project includes experiments and observations in the laboratory and at sea during an expedition on the R/V Atlantis with the deep submergence vehicle ALVIN in 2022. Key topics for investigation include: (1) Do variations in geochemical regimes select for metabolically plastic microbial populations? (2) Do different microbes become active under specific geochemical conditions or do the same microbes adapt to changing geochemical conditions? (3) What is the role of viruses in shaping the microbial populations present in highly dynamic hydrothermal habitats?

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.



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Funding

Funding SourceAward
NSF Division of Ocean Sciences (NSF OCE)

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