Potential contributions of extremophiles to hydrocarbon resources in marine extreme environments: A review

Abstract

To understand the potential mechanism of marine extremophiles participating in the formation and the evo lution of hydrocarbon resources in marine extreme environments, some typical kinds of extremophiles and their distributions in marine hydrothermal and cold vents are discussed and evaluated respectively. The potential relationship between extremophile activities and hydrocarbon resources in marine extreme environments are then discussed in details. It could be now preliminary concluded that archaea and bacteria are the two main kinds of extremophiles in marine extreme environments. The dominating microbe com munities in hydrothermal vents are heterotrophic zymogens, sulfate reducers and methanogens, while the ANME-2 group (Methanosarcinales) surrounded by sulfate-reducing bacteria and ANME-1 group dominate in cold vents. Marine extremophiles would be able to use CH₄ and H₂S to synthesize energy for metabolism and to support food chains for other unique macrobiota nearby, which together present a high abundance but a low diversity with distinct characteristics of horizontal and vertical distributions. Marine extremophiles might play an important role either directly or indirectly in the processes of hydrocarbon formation and subsequent alteration, and could indicate the evolution of hydrocarbon resources in marine extreme environments. Our research thus has a great significance both in theoretical approach of potential hydrocarbon resources formed by marine extremophile activities and in practical exploration of the potential hydrocarbon-source sedimentary layers formed in the Earth history or the potential strata in southern China.