Seasonal dynamics of methanotrophic bacteria in a boreal oil sands end-pit lake

dc.contributor.authorAlbakistani, Emad
dc.contributor.authorNwosu, Felix
dc.contributor.authorFurgason, Chantel
dc.contributor.authorHaupt, Evan
dc.contributor.authorSmirnova, Angela
dc.contributor.authorVerbeke, Tobin
dc.contributor.authorLee, Eun-Suk
dc.contributor.authorKim, Joong-Jae
dc.contributor.authorChan, Amelia
dc.contributor.authorRuhl, Ilona
dc.contributor.authorSheremet, Andriy
dc.contributor.authorRudderham, Sarah
dc.contributor.authorLindsay, Matthew
dc.contributor.authorDunfield, Peter
dc.date.accessioned2021-11-30T22:53:27Z
dc.date.available2021-11-30T22:53:27Z
dc.date.issued2021-11-29
dc.description.abstractBase Mine Lake (BML) is the first full-scale demonstration end pit lake for the oil sands mining industry in Canada. We examined aerobic methanotrophic bacteria over all seasons for five years in this dimictic lake. Methanotrophs comprised up to 58% of all bacterial reads in 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing analyses (median 2.8%), and up to 2.7 × 104 cells mL−1 of water (median 0.5 × 103) based on qPCR of pmoA genes. Methanotrophic activity and populations in the lake water were highest during fall turnover, and remained high through the winter ice-covered period into spring turnover. They declined during summer stratification, especially in the epilimnion. Three methanotroph genera (Methylobacter, Methylovulum, and Methyloparacoccus) cycled seasonally, based on both relative and absolute abundance measurements. Methylobacter and Methylovulum populations peaked in winter/spring, when methane oxidation activity was psychrophilic. Methyloparacoccus populations increased in the water column through summer and fall, when methane oxidation was mesophilic, and also predominated in the underlying tailings sediment. Other, less abundant genera grew primarily during summer, possibly due to distinct CH4/O2 microniches created during thermal stratification. These data are consistent with temporal and spatial niche differentiation based on temperature, CH4 and O2. This pit lake displays methane cycling and methanotroph population dynamics similar to natural boreal lakes. Importance statement: The study examined methanotrophic bacteria in an industrial end pit lake, combining molecular DNA methods (both quantitative and descriptive) with biogeochemical measurements. The lake was sampled over 5 years, in all four seasons, as often as weekly, and included sub-ice samples. The resulting multi-season and multi-year dataset is unique in its size and intensity, and allowed us to document clear and consistent seasonal patterns of growth and decline of three methanotroph genera (Methylobacter, Methylovulum, and Methyloparacoccus). Laboratory experiments suggested that one major control of this succession was niche partitioning based on temperature. The study helps to understand microbial dynamics in engineered end-pit lakes, but we propose that the dynamics are typical of boreal stratified lakes, and widely applicable in microbial ecology and limnology. Methane oxidising bacteria are important model organisms in microbial ecology, and have implications for global climate change.en_US
dc.description.grantingagencyNatural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)en_US
dc.identifier.citationAlbakistani, E., Nwosu, F.C., Furgason, C., Haupt, E.S.,Smirnova, A., Verbeke, T.J., Lee, E., Kim, J., Chan, A., Ruhl, I., Sheremet, A., Rudderham, S.B., Lindsay, M.B.J., &Dunfield, P. (2021). Seasonal dynamics of methanotrophic bacteria in a boreal oil sands end-pit lake. [working paper]. University of Calgary.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1880/114150
dc.identifier.urihttps://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/39406
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisher.departmentBiological Sciencesen_US
dc.publisher.facultyScienceen_US
dc.publisher.hasversionsubmittedVersionen_US
dc.publisher.institutionUniverstiy of Calgaryen_US
dc.rightsUnless otherwise indicated, this material is protected by copyright and has been made available with authorization from the copyright owner. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.en_US
dc.subjectmethaneen_US
dc.subjectmethanotrophen_US
dc.subjectstratified lakeen_US
dc.subjectdimictic lakeen_US
dc.subjectland reclaimationen_US
dc.titleSeasonal dynamics of methanotrophic bacteria in a boreal oil sands end-pit lakeen_US
dc.typeworking paperen_US
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrueen_US
ucalgary.scholar.levelUndergraduateen_US
ucalgary.scholar.levelGraduateen_US
ucalgary.scholar.levelFacultyen_US
ucalgary.scholar.levelOtheren_US
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