Articles | Volume 23, issue 8
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-2909-2026
© Author(s) 2026. 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-23-2909-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
29 Apr 2026
Research article |
| 29 Apr 2026
| 29 Apr 2026
Imprint of eutrophication on methane-cycling microbes in freshwater sediment
Alice Bosco-Santos
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics (IDYST), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
Eulalie Rose Beyala Bekono
Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics (IDYST), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
Santona Khatun
Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics (IDYST), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Environmental Engineering Institute, Smart Environmental Sensing in Extreme Environments (SENSE), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL Valais Wallis), 1951 Sion, Switzerland
Marie-Ève Monchamp
Biology Department, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
Joana Séneca
Division of Microbial Ecology, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Joint Microbiome Facility of the Medical University of Vienna and the University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Petra Pjevac
Division of Microbial Ecology, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Joint Microbiome Facility of the Medical University of Vienna and the University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Jasmine S. Berg
Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics (IDYST), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
Related authors
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Jasmine S. Berg, Paula C. Rodriguez, Cara Magnabosco, Longhui Deng, Stefano M. Bernasconi, Hendrik Vogel, Marina Morlock, and Mark A. Lever
Biogeosciences, 22, 5483–5496, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-5483-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-5483-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Our research explores microbial sulfur cycling in the 13 500-year-old sediment record of a sulfate-rich alpine lake. We present evidence for active sulfur cycling across sediment layers, even in sulfate-depleted zones, driven by uncultivated microorganisms. In addition, rapid organic matter sulfurization could contribute to its preservation. These findings enhance our understanding of the role of sulfur in organic matter preservation and deep biosphere processes.
Jasmine S. Berg, Paula C. Rodriguez, Cara Magnabosco, Longhui Deng, Stefano M. Bernasconi, Hendrik Vogel, Marina Morlock, and Mark A. Lever
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2102, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2102, 2023
Preprint archived
Short summary
Short summary
The addition of sulfur to organic matter is generally thought to protect it from microbial degradation. We analyzed buried sulfur compounds in a 10-m sediment core representing the entire ~13,500 year history of an alpine lake. Surprisingly, organic sulfur and pyrite formed very rapidly and were characterized by very light isotope signatures that suggest active microbial sulfur cycling in the deep subsurface.
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Short summary
From a 400-year sediment record in Lake Joux, we ask how past eutrophication shapes present methane cycling. Integrating sediment and water chemistry, stable carbon isotopes, and genetic sequencing, we reveal clear depth zoning of methane-producing microbes and frequent oxygen-using methane consumers even where oxygen is not detected; both rise with nitrate and phosphate. These sediment legacies influence future methane release.
From a 400-year sediment record in Lake Joux, we ask how past eutrophication shapes present...
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