Articles | Volume 22, issue 19
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-5173-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-5173-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
01 Oct 2025
Research article |
| 01 Oct 2025
| 01 Oct 2025
Adaptation of methane-oxidizing bacteria to environmental changes: implications for coastal methane dynamics
Tim R. de Groot
NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Texel, the Netherlands
Julia C. Engelmann
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Texel, the Netherlands
Pierre Ramond
NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Texel, the Netherlands
Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM), CSIC, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
Julia Dorigo
NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Texel, the Netherlands
Judith van Bleijswijk
NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Texel, the Netherlands
NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Texel, the Netherlands
Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
Department of Geosciences, CAGE – Centre of Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
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Short summary
In the ocean, the potent greenhouse gas methane is largely produced – but also consumed – in coastal systems before reaching the atmosphere. Rising temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns will likely impact the community composition of aerobic methanotrophic bacteria (MOBs). Experiments with North Sea and Wadden Sea water showed that methane availability increased MOB abundance but that different MOB types could thrive under drastically changed environmental conditions.
In the ocean, the potent greenhouse gas methane is largely produced – but also consumed – in...
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