QICS Data: Microbial Response to a Controlled Sub-Seabed CO2 Leak in Scotland (2012-2014)

From 2012 to 2014, researchers from Plymouth Marine Laboratory assessed the response of benthic microbial communities to a controlled sub-seabed CO2 release in Ardmucknish Bay, Oban, Scotland. The dataset includes quantitative PCR measurements of bacterial, archaeal, and cyanobacteria/chloroplast 16S rRNA genes, as well as genes and transcripts related to nitrification, across four sampling zones and six time points. It was created under the NERC-funded QICS program to monitor the environmental impacts of geological carbon storage.

Use Cases

• Modeling the impact of CO2 leakage on marine nitrification processes based on ammonia amoA and nitrite oxidizer (nirS) gene abundance.
• Analyzing spatial gradients in microbial community disturbance based on samples from four zones at increasing distances from the CO2 epicenter.
• Studying temporal recovery of benthic microbial activity based on samples taken before, during, and up to 90 days after the CO2 release.
• Comparing active microbial community composition using Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis and 454 pyrosequencing data mentioned in the description.

Strengths

• Data collection spans a controlled experiment with samples from four distinct spatial zones and six specific time points, providing spatial and temporal resolution.
• Includes multiple molecular biology techniques (qPCR, DGGE, T-RFLP, 454 pyrosequencing) to assess microbial community structure and function.
• Dataset is associated with specific peer-reviewed publications (Tait et al., 2015; Watanabe et al., 2015), providing context and validation.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The dataset's format and structure within the three text files are not described.

Provenance

Source

Plymouth Marine Laboratory under the QICS program, funded by NERC with Scottish Government support. Hosted by British Geological Survey (BGS).

Collection Method

Field experiment involving a controlled sub-seabed CO2 release, with sediment samples analyzed using qPCR, DGGE, T-RFLP, and 454 pyrosequencing.

Time Range

2012 - 2014

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-28 14:05:09.690058; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Ardmucknish Bay, Oban, Scotland