PRJNA799781
Costa Rica subduction zone Metagenome
The primary scientific question to be addressed in this metagenomic survey is: What is the influence of biological activity on C ingassing and outgassing at the Costa Rica convergent margin? The refined constraints on volatile sources and sinks we generate will feed into a regional-scale box model, forming the basis of a geodynamic model over subduction time scales. By obtaining a gradient of influence from point sources of outgassing, as designated by the gas measurements made in situ, we will observe the community shift as it nears the source of the gas. In this way, we will be able to identify the most likely microbial clades involved in the processing of these gasses, which include carbon dioxide, sulfur compounds, methane, and perhaps higher hydrocarbons. Due to the wide range geochemists, geologists, and biologists working on this project, we will have extensive metadata, such as pH, alkalinity, dissolved gas compositions, and temperature. These datasets are from the same study as PRJNA797441. PI: Karen Lloyd klloyd@utk.edu