The oxygen-rich surface waters of the world’s major oceans are supersaturated with methane – a powerful greenhouse gas that is roughly 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide – yet little is known about the source of this methane.
Now a new study by researchers at Oregon State University demonstrates the ability of some strains of the oceans’ most abundant organism – SAR11 – to generate methane as a byproduct of breaking down a compound for its phosphorus.
Results of the study were published recently in Nature Communications. It was funded by the National Science Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
For the complete article see the 07-18-2014 issue.
Click here to purchase an electronic version of the 07-18-2014 paper.
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