During Leg 168 of the Ocean Drilling Program, basalts were recovered by drilling and subsurface water was collected with a water sampling tool at Hole 1026B on the east flank of Juan de Fuca Ridge. Microorganisms were found in both types of samples. The microorganisms in the basalt appear to have been in situ, but the origin of microorganisms in the water is not certain. Particles filtered from the formation water collected with the water sampling tool indicate that there were several potential sources of contamination including the drill string, sea water, and the water sampling tool. The number of microorganisms in the formation water (including those introduced through contamination) was probably less than 1000 per mL, and this low number of cells did not permit us to identify them. Improvements in sampling may provide suitable samples for identification and culturing of microbes from subseafloor aquifers.
1Fisher, A., Davis, E.E., and Escutia, C. (Eds.), 2000. Proc. ODP, Sci. Results, 168 [Online]. Available from World Wide Web: <http://www-odp.tamu.edu/publications/168_SR/168sr.htm>. [Cited YYYY-MM-DD]
2College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis OR 97331, USA. mfisk@oce.orst.edu
3Geological Institute, Allégaten 41, University of Bergen, 5007, Bergen, Norway.
4Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis OR 97331, USA.
Date of initial receipt: 7 December 1998
Date of acceptance: 22 July 1999
Ms 168SR-022