Title:

1.3 - Project Execution Plan: Thiobacteria Survey MV Snowgoose

Author(s):
Publication Year:
2014
Abstract:

Thiobacteria, use hydrogen sulphide (H2S) as fuel, effectively keeping the H2S in the sediment and out of the water column. If the sediments are disrupted and the bacteria removed the H2S may escape into the water column with (depending on scale and volumes) possibly significant impacts on the fauna and flora of the marine environment. Thiobacteria are ubiquitous on the Namibian continental shelf and generally in the world ocean. However, they have been shown to be temporally and spatially variable in the particulate organic matter (POM) enriched mud belt inshore of the proposed mining area (ML 170). Although the presence of thiobacteria in ML 170 is suspected, given the sandy nature of the sediment (vertically and horizontally) compared to the H2S-rich mud belt which is known to exist inshore of the mining area, the actual presence of the sulphur oxidising bacteria is questioned. Nonetheless, the detection of thiobacteria using the qPCR method, integrated with other Acid Volatile Source (AVS) assessments will provide a more robust indication of the potential presence and ecological importance of sulphur oxidizing bacteria in the survey area.

Series Title:
Sandpiper Project: Verification Programme Report: Mining Licence Area no. 170. Volume 2, Section D - Appendices: Appendix 1 - 1.0 Water column and sedimentary environment. Namibian Marine Phosphate (Pty) Ltd
Item Type:
Report
Language:
en

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