ISSN: 2572-3103
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Carola Espinoza
Chile
Research Article
Extrapolations of Standing-Stocks of Big Bacteria in Humboldt Eastern Boundary Current Ecosystem (HEBCE)
Author(s): Gallardo VA, Fonseca A, Musleh SS and Espinoza CGallardo VA, Fonseca A, Musleh SS and Espinoza C
The sublittoral seafloor of the Humboldt Eastern Boundary Current ecosystem (HEBCE) is characterized by sediments rich in sulfur compounds and extensive and sometimes massive benthic bacterial mats. This sulfur-based sublittoral ecosystem is maintained by the very high input of organic matter from the productive surface waters and the concurrence of subsurface hypoxic to anoxic waters of the Peru-Chile Undercurrent (PCU). Generically here named the “Humboldt Sulfuretum” (HS), this benthic habitat extends latitudinally along the continental margins off Peru and Chile for over 3,500 km potentially covering around 100,000 km2 thus making it one of the largest reduced soft sediment regions in the world. Since its first recognition in 1962 the HS has consistently been found the home of massive bacterial mats which can attain standing-stocks in the order of 1,000 gm-2 (wet weigh.. View More»
DOI:
10.4172/2332-2632.1000110