The fate of biologically produced methane in an anoxic fjord in British Columbia

Senior thesis written for Oceanography 445

[author abstract] An increase of methane gas in the atmosphere has been shown to exacerbate climatic changes, much more so than an increase in carbon dioxide. This study examined an anoxic fjord in British Columbia, Canada, to try to get a better understanding of what happens to biologically produced methane. Six samples were taken in two basins of the fjord, one with oxygen throughout the water column and one with both an oxic and anoxic layer. The absence of a high concentration of methane above the anoxic layer suggests that methanotrophs were present, and had consumed most if not all of the methane produced through methanogenesis.

University of Washington School of Oceanography