Intact polar lipid composition and bottom water and surface sediment characteristics during R/V Pelagia cruise PASOM to the Arabian Sea in 2009

Benthic Archaea comprise a significant part of the total prokaryotic biomass in marine sediments. Recent genomic surveys suggest they are largely involved in anaerobic processing of organic matter but the distribution and abundance of these archaeal groups is still largely unknown. Archaeal membrane lipids composed of isoprenoid diethers or tetraethers (glycerol dibiphytanyl glycerol tetraether, GDGT) are often used as archaeal biomarkers. Here, we compare the archaeal diversity and intact polar lipid (IPL) composition in both surface (0-0.5 cm) and subsurface (10-12 cm) sediments recovered wi... Mehr ...