Microbial dynamics in shallow CO.sub.2 seeps system off Panarea Island

Shallow-water hydrothermal vents are extreme environments characterized by high temperatures, low pH, and high CO.sub.2 concentrations; therefore, they are considered as suitable laboratories for studying the effect of global changes on marine microbes. We hypothesized a direct effect of vents on prokaryotic community structure and functioning in the Panarea Island's hydrothermal system. Sampling was conducted along a 9-station transect characterized by three active emission points. The water column was stratified with a thermocline at 25 m depth and a deep chlorophyll maximum between 50 and 100 m. Prokaryotic abundance ranged from 0.2 to 1.5 x 10.sup.9 cells L.sup.-1, prokaryotic carbon production from 2.4 to 75.4 ng C L.sup.-1 h.sup.-1, and exoenzymatic activities degrading proteins, phosphorylated compounds, and polysaccharides were on the order of 4-28, 2-31 and 0.2-4.16 nM h.sup.-1, respectively. While microbial abundance and production were shaped by the water column's physical structure, alkaline phosphatase and beta-glucosidase activities seemed to be enhanced by hydrothermal fluids. The 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing analysis identified a surface, a deep, and a vent-influenced microbial community. In terms of relative abundance members of the SAR11 group dominated the water column, alongside Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus in surface and bottom samples, respectively. Vent-influenced stations were characterized by the presence of Thiomicrorhabdus, a sulfur-oxidizer chemolithoautotroph. Overall, this study provides insights on the coupling between microbial community structure and the biogeochemical cycling of nutrients in low-pH conditions (CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2S-based), thus addressing some of the opened questions about the response of microbes to acidification.