Elevated heterotrophic activity in Guaymas Basin hydrothermal plumes influences deep-sea carbon cycling

Andrew Montgomery, Guang-Chao Zhuang, Zhichao Zhou, Marguerite V. Langwig, María del Carmen Millán-Motolinía, Hannah Y. L. Choi, Kimberley S. Hunter, Carlos A. Mortera-Gutiérrez, Christelle Hyancinthe, Zachary Marinelli, Karthik Anantharaman, Andreas Teske and Samantha B. Joye ()
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Andrew Montgomery: University of Georgia
Guang-Chao Zhuang: University of Georgia
Zhichao Zhou: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Marguerite V. Langwig: University of Wisconsin-Madison
María del Carmen Millán-Motolinía: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Hannah Y. L. Choi: University of Georgia
Kimberley S. Hunter: University of Georgia
Carlos A. Mortera-Gutiérrez: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Christelle Hyancinthe: University of Georgia
Zachary Marinelli: University of Georgia
Karthik Anantharaman: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Andreas Teske: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Samantha B. Joye: University of Georgia

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Abstract Deep-sea hydrothermal plumes are characterized by chemoautotrophic production fueled by the oxidation of reduced inorganic substrates. Recently, organic carbon cycling was proposed, but the metabolic fate of organic carbon is unconstrained. Here, we investigate organic carbon metabolisms in and around a hydrothermal plume to constrain the impacts of hydrothermal vents on deep-sea carbon cycling. Acetate and methanol are detected throughout the water column and are rapidly metabolized in Guaymas Basin waters. Heterotrophic production, up to 7.69 µg C L−1 d−1, greatly exceeds chemoautotrophic production. Relative to shallow water, elevated microbial activity coincides with a distinct plume signature, indicating that microbial communities respond quickly to hydrothermal inputs. Metatranscriptomic analysis of functional genes for heterotrophic metabolisms implicates Gammaproteobacteria and diverse heterotrophs in hydrothermally-sourced organic carbon degradation. Our results illustrate that organic carbon is differentially cycled within hydrothermal plumes, suggesting that hydrothermal inputs profoundly impact heterotrophic activity in the deep sea.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-59793-0

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