title: Microorganisms persist at record depths in the subseafloor of the Canterbury Basin.
abstract: The subsurface realm is colonized by microbial communities to depths of >1000 meters below the seafloor (m.b.sf.), but little is known about overall diversity and microbial distribution patterns at the most profound depths. Here we show that not only Bacteria and Archaea but also Eukarya occur at record depths in the subseafloor of the Canterbury Basin. Shifts in microbial community composition along a core of nearly 2 km reflect vertical taxa zonation influenced by sediment depth. Representatives of some microbial taxa were also cultivated using methods mimicking in situ conditions. These results suggest that diverse microorganisms persist down to 1922 m.b.sf. in the seafloor of the Canterbury Basin and extend the previously known depth limits of microbial evidence (i) from 159 to 1740 m.b.sf. for Eukarya and (ii) from 518 to 1922 m.b.sf. for Bacteria.
authors.affiliation: 1] Université de Bretagne Occidentale (UBO, UEB), IUEM-UMR 6197, Laboratoire de Microbiologie des Environnements Extrêmes (LMEE), Plouzané, France [2] CNRS, IUEM-UMR 6197, LMEE, Plouzané, France [3] Ifremer, UMR6197, LMEE, Plouzané, France.
authors.forename: Maria-Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Ciobanu
authors.affiliation: Université de Brest, UEB, Laboratoire Universitaire de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie Microbienne EA 3882, IFR148 SFR ScInBioS, ESIAB, Plouzané, France.
authors.forename: Gaëtan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Burgaud
authors.affiliation: Université de Rennes I, CNRS, UMR 6553 ECOBIO, Rennes, France.
authors.forename: Alexis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dufresne
authors.affiliation: Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (BGR), Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Breuker
authors.affiliation: Université de Brest, UEB, Laboratoire Universitaire de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie Microbienne EA 3882, IFR148 SFR ScInBioS, ESIAB, Plouzané, France.
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rédou
authors.affiliation: Université de Bretagne Occidentale (UBO, UEB), IUEM-UMR 6197, Laboratoire de Microbiologie des Environnements Extrêmes (LMEE), Plouzané, France.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ben Maamar
authors.affiliation: 1] Université de Bretagne Occidentale (UBO, UEB), IUEM-UMR 6197, Laboratoire de Microbiologie des Environnements Extrêmes (LMEE), Plouzané, France [2] CNRS, IUEM-UMR 6197, LMEE, Plouzané, France [3] Ifremer, UMR6197, LMEE, Plouzané, France.
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gaboyer
authors.affiliation: 1] Université de Bretagne Occidentale (UBO, UEB), IUEM-UMR 6197, Laboratoire de Microbiologie des Environnements Extrêmes (LMEE), Plouzané, France [2] CNRS, IUEM-UMR 6197, LMEE, Plouzané, France [3] Ifremer, UMR6197, LMEE, Plouzané, France.
authors.forename: Odile
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Vandenabeele-Trambouze
authors.affiliation: Organic Geochemistry Group, Department of Geosciences and MARUM Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Julius Sebastian
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lipp
authors.affiliation: Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (BGR), Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schippers
authors.affiliation: Université de Rennes I, CNRS, UMR 6553 ECOBIO, Rennes, France.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vandenkoornhuyse
authors.affiliation: Université de Brest, UEB, Laboratoire Universitaire de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie Microbienne EA 3882, IFR148 SFR ScInBioS, ESIAB, Plouzané, France.
authors.forename: Georges
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barbier
authors.affiliation: 1] Université de Bretagne Occidentale (UBO, UEB), IUEM-UMR 6197, Laboratoire de Microbiologie des Environnements Extrêmes (LMEE), Plouzané, France [2] CNRS, IUEM-UMR 6197, LMEE, Plouzané, France [3] Ifremer, UMR6197, LMEE, Plouzané, France.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jebbar
authors.affiliation: 1] Université de Bretagne Occidentale (UBO, UEB), IUEM-UMR 6197, Laboratoire de Microbiologie des Environnements Extrêmes (LMEE), Plouzané, France [2] CNRS, IUEM-UMR 6197, LMEE, Plouzané, France [3] Ifremer, UMR6197, LMEE, Plouzané, France.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Godfroy
authors.affiliation: 1] Université de Bretagne Occidentale (UBO, UEB), IUEM-UMR 6197, Laboratoire de Microbiologie des Environnements Extrêmes (LMEE), Plouzané, France [2] CNRS, IUEM-UMR 6197, LMEE, Plouzané, France [3] Ifremer, UMR6197, LMEE, Plouzané, France.
authors.forename: Karine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Alain
mesh_terms: D001105:Archaea / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D044822:Biodiversity; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000382:microbiology*; D006874:Hydrostatic Pressure; D009520:New Zealand; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D012623:Seawater / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S