Methane oxidizers in lake Kivu

Distribution and diversity of methane oxidizers in lake Kivu

Lake Kivu lies on the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, and contains extraordinarily high concentrations of dissolved methane, creating a potential risk to human health in the event of violent degassing.

We are supporting a project of the groups Aquatic Geochemistry and Aquatic Physics (Natacha Pasche, M. Schmid, J. Wüest, B. Wehrli), to characterize the methane oxidizing microbial populations in Lake Kivu using molecular methods.

Lake Kivu contains extreme concentrations of methane in its multi-layered Hypolimnion, but emits relatively low amounts of methane into the atmosphere. We are looking at the distribution and diversity of aerobic and anaerobic methane oxidizers and methanogens in the water column of lake Kivu to obtain new insights into the ecology of methane oxidation in this unique ecosystem. First results show that methane is mostly oxidized aerobically at the oxycline, but we have also found evidence for the presence of novel groups of anaerobic methane oxidizing archaea.

Funding

• Swiss National Science Foundation