IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v13y2022i1d10.1038_s41467-022-35082-y.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Aerobic oxidation of methane significantly reduces global diffusive methane emissions from shallow marine waters

Author

Listed:
  • Shi-Hai Mao

    (Ocean University of China
    Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology
    Ocean University of China)

  • Hong-Hai Zhang

    (Ocean University of China
    Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology
    Ocean University of China)

  • Guang-Chao Zhuang

    (Ocean University of China
    Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology
    Ocean University of China)

  • Xiao-Jun Li

    (Ocean University of China
    Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology
    Ocean University of China)

  • Qiao Liu

    (Ocean University of China
    Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology
    Ocean University of China)

  • Zhen Zhou

    (Ocean University of China
    Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology
    Ocean University of China)

  • Wei-Lei Wang

    (Xiamen University)

  • Chun-Yang Li

    (Ocean University of China)

  • Ke-Yu Lu

    (University College London)

  • Xi-Ting Liu

    (Ocean University of China)

  • Andrew Montgomery

    (Montana State University)

  • Samantha B. Joye

    (University of Georgia)

  • Yu-Zhong Zhang

    (Ocean University of China
    Shandong University)

  • Gui-Peng Yang

    (Ocean University of China
    Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology
    Ocean University of China)

Abstract

Methane is supersaturated in surface seawater and shallow coastal waters dominate global ocean methane emissions to the atmosphere. Aerobic methane oxidation (MOx) can reduce atmospheric evasion, but the magnitude and control of MOx remain poorly understood. Here we investigate methane sources and fates in the East China Sea and map global MOx rates in shallow waters by training machine-learning models. We show methane is produced during methylphosphonate decomposition under phosphate-limiting conditions and sedimentary release is also source of methane. High MOx rates observed in these productive coastal waters are correlated with methanotrophic activity and biomass. By merging the measured MOx rates with methane concentrations and other variables from a global database, we predict MOx rates and estimate that half of methane, amounting to 1.8 ± 2.7 Tg, is consumed annually in near-shore waters (

Suggested Citation

  • Shi-Hai Mao & Hong-Hai Zhang & Guang-Chao Zhuang & Xiao-Jun Li & Qiao Liu & Zhen Zhou & Wei-Lei Wang & Chun-Yang Li & Ke-Yu Lu & Xi-Ting Liu & Andrew Montgomery & Samantha B. Joye & Yu-Zhong Zhang & G, 2022. "Aerobic oxidation of methane significantly reduces global diffusive methane emissions from shallow marine waters," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-35082-y
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35082-y
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-35082-y
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-022-35082-y?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Siddhesh S. Kamat & Howard J. Williams & Frank M. Raushel, 2011. "Intermediates in the transformation of phosphonates to phosphate by bacteria," Nature, Nature, vol. 480(7378), pages 570-573, December.
    2. Thomas Weber & Nicola A. Wiseman & Annette Kock, 2019. "Global ocean methane emissions dominated by shallow coastal waters," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-10, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jan N. Arx & Abiel T. Kidane & Miriam Philippi & Wiebke Mohr & Gaute Lavik & Sina Schorn & Marcel M. M. Kuypers & Jana Milucka, 2023. "Methylphosphonate-driven methane formation and its link to primary production in the oligotrophic North Atlantic," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    2. Søren K. Amstrup & Sui Ching Ong & Nicholas Sofos & Jesper L. Karlsen & Ragnhild B. Skjerning & Thomas Boesen & Jan J. Enghild & Bjarne Hove-Jensen & Ditlev E. Brodersen, 2023. "Structural remodelling of the carbon–phosphorus lyase machinery by a dual ABC ATPase," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    3. Chin-Hsien Cheng & Simon A. T. Redfern, 2022. "Impact of interannual and multidecadal trends on methane-climate feedbacks and sensitivity," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    4. Florian Roth & Elias Broman & Xiaole Sun & Stefano Bonaglia & Francisco Nascimento & John Prytherch & Volker Brüchert & Maysoon Lundevall Zara & Märta Brunberg & Marc C. Geibel & Christoph Humborg & A, 2023. "Methane emissions offset atmospheric carbon dioxide uptake in coastal macroalgae, mixed vegetation and sediment ecosystems," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-35082-y. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.