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Frank, Kiana Laieikawai

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Kiana Laieikawai

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Frank, Kiana Laieikawai
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    Characterizing the Distribution and Rates of Microbial Sulfate Reduction at Middle Valley Hydrothermal Vents
    (Nature Publishing Group, 2013-02-28) Frank, Kiana Laieikawai; Rogers, Daniel R.; Olins, Heather; Vidoudez, Charles; Girguis, Peter
    Few studies have directly measured sulfate reduction at hydrothermal vents, and relatively little is known about how environmental or ecological factors influence rates of sulfate reduction in vent environments. A better understanding of microbially mediated sulfate reduction in hydrothermal vent ecosystems may be achieved by integrating ecological and geochemical data with metabolic rate measurements. Here we present rates of microbially mediated sulfate reduction from three distinct hydrothermal vents in the Middle Valley vent field along the Juan de Fuca Ridge, as well as assessments of bacterial and archaeal diversity, estimates of total biomass and the abundance of functional genes related to sulfate reduction, and in situ geochemistry. Maximum rates of sulfate reduction occurred at \(90^{\circ}C\) in all three deposits. Pyrosequencing and functional gene abundance data reveal differences in both biomass and community composition among sites, including differences in the abundance of known sulfate reducing bacteria. The abundance of sequences for Thermodesulfovibro-like organisms and higher sulfate reduction rates at elevated temperatures, suggests that Thermodesulfovibro-like organisms may play a role in sulfate reduction in warmer environments. The rates of sulfate reduction presented here suggest that - within anaerobic niches of hydrothermal deposits - heterotrophic sulfate reduction may be quite common and can contribute to secondary productivity, underscoring the potential role of this process in both sulfur and carbon cycling at vents.
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    Linking Metabolic Rates with the Diversity and Functional Capacity of Endolithic Microbial Communities within Hydrothermal Vent Structures
    (2013-10-18) Frank, Kiana Laieikawai; Girguis, Peter R.; Cavanaugh, Colleen; Knoll, Andrew; Burton, Briana
    At hydrothermal vents, thermal and chemical gradients generated by the mixing of hydrothermal fluids with seawater provide diverse niches for prokaryotic communities. To date, our knowledge of environmental factors that shape bacterial and archaeal community composition and metabolic activities across these gradients within the active sulfide structures is limited. While many studies have laid the foundation for our understanding of the extent of diversity in relation to varying hydrothermal settings, few studies exists regarding the detailed spatial relationships between vent geochemistry and the abundance, distribution, and metabolic characteristics of the endolithic hosted communities. Even fewer data have been generated on the magnitude of metabolic rates and factors controlling the kinetics of these reactions have not been well constrained.