Degradation of algal lipids by deep-sea benthic foraminifera: An in situ tracer experiment

We conducted an in situ feeding experiment using 13C-labeled unicellular algae in Sagami Bay, Japan (water depth, 1450 m), in order to understand the fate of lipid compounds in phytodetritus at the deep-sea floor. We examined the incorporation of excess 13C into lipid compounds extracted from bulk sediments and benthic foraminiferal cells. 13C-enriched fatty acids derived from 13C-labeled algae were exponentially degraded during 6 days of incubation in the sediment. Subsequent enrichments in 13C in sedimentary n-C15, anteiso-C17, and C17 fatty acids indicated the microbial degradation of algal material and production of bacterial biomass in the sediment. We observed the incorporation of 13C-labeled algal phytol and fatty acids into foraminiferal cells. The compositions of 13C-labeled algal lipids in foraminiferal cells were different from those in the bulk sediments, indicating that foraminiferal feeding and digestion influenced the lipid distribution in the sediments. Furthermore, some sterols in Globobulimina affinis (e.g., 24-ethylcholesta-5,22-dien-3β-ol, 24-ethylcholest-5-en-3β-ol, and 23,24-dimethylcholesta-5,22E-dien-3β-ol) were newly produced via the modification of dietary algal sterols within 4–6 days. In addition to the effects of bacteria, feeding by benthic foraminifera can result in a significant reorganization of the composition of organic matter and influence benthic food webs and carbon cycling at the deep-sea floor.