Science Advances· 2026Q1
ANME-2a perform methane oxidation in brackish coastal sediments via multiple pathways
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- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
ANME-2a archaea perform methane oxidation in brackish coastal sediments through multiple pathways, including sulfate, metal oxides, and graphene oxide as electron acceptors.
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Key points
- ANME-2a archaea are the only detected methanotrophs in brackish coastal sediments.
- AOM is primarily confined to the shallow, metal oxide-rich sulfate-methane transition zone (SMTZ).
- ANME-2a archaea exhibit high gene expression in the SMTZ.
- Sediment incubations show AOM activity with sulfate, metal oxides, and graphene oxide.
- Deep methanotrophic communities are rapidly stimulated when electron acceptor limitations are eased.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas. Typically, a large fraction of methane formed in coastal sediments is removed via anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM). Here, we demonstrate the potential for a range of AOM pathways in brackish coastal sediments by ANME-2a archaea. At our study site, geochemical profiles indicate that AOM is primarily restricted to a shallow, metal oxide-rich sulfate-methane transition zone (SMTZ). ANME-2a were the sole methanotrophs detected, and metatranscriptomics showed the highest expression levels of the ANME-2a genes in the SMTZ. AOM activity was observed in sediment incubations with various electron acceptors, including sulfate, metal oxides, and the organic matter analog graphene oxide. Highest potential rates were observed in sediments from below the SMTZ, pointing toward fast stimulation of the deeper methanotrophic community when alleviating the electron acceptor limitation. The variety of AOM pathways and persistence of methanotrophs below the SMTZ likely contribute to the resilience of the microbial methane filter in brackish coastal sediments.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Science Advances, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Environmental ChemistryEnvironmental Science