Next Generation Submersible Incubation System for Robotic Ocean Observation of Microbial Dynamics

This proposal will develop a Next-generation in situ Submersible Incubation Device (NSID) with the ability to perform temperature control, experimental amendments, in situ subsampling and preservation for ex situ analysis, and sensing of key process parameters, i.e., temperature, O2, pH, and total dissolved sulfide. The NSID system will be designed for deployment from autonomous vehicles and remotely operated platforms. This system will characterize marine microbial communities by their response to the biogeochemical environment and specifically characterize rates in two ways (i) measuring changes in key electron acceptors (e.g., O2) and donors (H2S, and H2) in using real-time in situ sensors during the course of incubations, and (ii) through amendment with isotopically labelled substrates and subsequent regular subsampling and preservation for ex situ analysis. Subsampling and preservation of material for ex situ analysis will also allow for in-depth community genomic and transcriptomic analyses. It will be field tested on ROV Jason and AUV Clio in a cruise to Axial seamount