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Geochemistry and Life at the Interfaces of Brine-Filled Deeps in the Red Sea

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Oceanographic and Biological Aspects of the Red Sea

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Abstract

The deep-sea brines of the Red Sea are unusual extreme environments and form characteristically steep gradients across the brine-seawater interfaces. Due to their unusual nature and unique combination of physical-chemical conditions these interfaces provide an interesting source of new findings in the fields of geochemistry, geology, microbiology, biotechnology, virology, and general biology. The current chapter summarizes recent and new results in the study of geochemistry and life at the interfaces of brine-filled deeps of the Red Sea.

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Acknowledgements

Most of the geochemical sampling and analytical work associated with the new data presented here has been conducted within the Jeddah-Transect Project (www.jeddah-transect.org). The collaboration of the Jeddah Transect Project between King Abdulaziz University and Helmholtz-Center for Ocean Research GEOMAR Kiel was funded by King Abdulaziz University (KAU) Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, under grant No. T-065/430-DSR. Moreover, geochemical data is presented which is based on interface sampling during RV Meteor cruises (ME44/3 and 52/3). Analytical support by D. Garbe-Schönberg, H. Erlenkeuser, and M. Böttcher was highly welcome.

Overall, the work presented in this chapter is the outcome of several years of research in this field. The authors are particularly indebted to former colleagues at the University of Regensburg, and at the Red Sea Research Center, Computational Bioscience Research Center, and the Coastal and Marine Resource Core Laboratory of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). Part of the research presented here has been funded by the FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal), DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Germany), and SEDCO (Saudi Economic and Development Company, Saudi Arabia).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Edge Hill University, St. Helens Road, Ormskirk, Lancashire, L39 4QP, UK

    André Antunes

  2. Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Blindern, 0316, Oslo, Norway

    Stein Kaartvedt

  3. GEOMAR Helmholtz, Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Wischhofstr. 1-3, 24148, Kiel, Germany

    Mark Schmidt

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  1. André Antunes
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  2. Stein Kaartvedt
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Correspondence to André Antunes .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Marine Geology, Saudi Geological Survey, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

    Najeeb M.A. Rasul

  2. Stewart Geophysical Consultants Pty. Ltd., College Park, Adelaide, SA, Australia

    Ian C.F. Stewart

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Antunes, A., Kaartvedt, S., Schmidt, M. (2019). Geochemistry and Life at the Interfaces of Brine-Filled Deeps in the Red Sea. In: Rasul, N., Stewart, I. (eds) Oceanographic and Biological Aspects of the Red Sea. Springer Oceanography. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99417-8_11

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