Study on Bacterial Communities and Genes Suppressing the Sea-Air Emission of Carbon Monoxide

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K17874
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 63010:Environmental dynamic analysis-related
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: SUGAI Youta 東京大学, 大気海洋研究所, 特任研究員 (20896930)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 温室効果ガス / 一酸化炭素（CO） / 海表面マイクロレイヤー / 海洋性CO酸化菌

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the present study, field investigations were conducted in coastal ocean (Western Sagami Bay, Japan) and open ocean (Western North Pacific and Eastern South Pacific). Environmental parameters (e.g. water temperature and organic matter concentration), dissolved carbon monoxide (CO) concentration, and biological CO consumption rate in surface waters (including surface microlayer) were measured, and DNA/RNA samples were collected for the community and phylogenetic analyses of marine CO-oxidizing bacteria. In addition to the community and phylogenetic analyses of marine CO-oxidizers using the samples collected during this study, the analyses using publicly available, global marine metagenome data were considered.

Free Research Field

海洋微生物生態学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

一酸化炭素（CO）は間接的な温室効果ガスであり、一般的に、海洋から大気に放出されている。海洋表層における細菌によるCOの代謝（酸化）は、有機物が少ない海洋表層に生息する従属栄養性の細菌にとって有益なエネルギー獲得方法の1つであるだけでなく、海洋から大気へのCOの放出およびそれによる大気の温室効果の上昇を抑制することを意味する。したがって、海洋性CO酸化菌の系統・群集構造・生態を明らかにすることは、海洋生態学および生物地球化学において重要な課題である。