HR: 16:50h
AN: B14A-04    [Abstracts]
TI: Lessons in microbial geochemistry from the Coal Oil Point seep field: progress as prospects.
AU: * Valentine, D L
EM: valentine@geol.ucsb.edu
AF: Department of Earth Science, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 United States
AU: Kinnaman, F
EM: frank_kinnaman@umail.ucsb.edu
AF: Graduate Program in Marine Science, Department of Earth Science University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 United States
AU: Wardlaw, G
EM: gwardlaw@umail.ucsb.edu
AF: Graduate Program in Marine Science, Department of Earth Science University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 United States
AU: Redmond, M
EM: mredmond@umail.ucsb.edu
AF: Graduate Program in Marine Science, Department of Earth Science University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 United States
AU: Ding, H
EM: dinghb701017@yahoo.com
AF: Department of Earth Science, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 United States
AU: Kimball, J
EM: Justeene@aol.com
AF: Department of Earth Science, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 United States
AU: Busso, L
EM: slick_geek@umail.ucsb.edu
AF: Department of Earth Science, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 United States
AU: Larson, A
EM: alyssa@umail.ucsb.edu
AF: Department of Earth Science, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 United States
AB: The hydrocarbon seeps located offshore Coal Oil Point, Santa Barbara, CA, are estimated to emit 10¹⁰ grams of methane and 50 thousand barrels of oil annually, and are among the most prolific in the world. The seep field spans a range of shelf depths and many of the seeps are accessible by SCUBA, making this an ideal location to investigate the impact of microbes on the biogeochemical cycling of methane and other hydrocarbons. With funding provided by the National Science Foundation, the Minerals Management Service and the Petroleum Research Fund, we have begun to investigate the interactions between microbes, hydrocarbon distributions, and environmental dynamics in the seep environment. This presentation will provide an overview of Coal Oil Point seep field and the biogeochemical research being conducted there. Several topics will be incorporated including i) the dynamics of oil and gas seepage, ii) the microbial consumption of methane, ethane, propane, butane and crude oil, iii) the distribution and composition of microbial mats, iv) redox differentiation in seep sediments and the importance of advection, and v) the development of experimental tools for the investigation of seep environments. Prospects for future biochemical research in the Coal Oil Point seep field will also be discussed.
DE: 0404 Anoxic and hypoxic environments (4802, 4834)
DE: 0408 Benthic processes (4804)
DE: 0414 Biogeochemical cycles, processes, and modeling (0412, 0793, 1615, 4805, 4912)
DE: 0428 Carbon cycling (4806)
DE: 0448 Geomicrobiology
SC: Biogeosciences [B]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005