Anaeroblc methane oxldation and sulfate reduction were investigated in intact marine sedlment cores and in headspace-free, undiluted, homogenized, incubation bags In intact cores the typical upward concave methane concentration proflle indicated methane oxidation in the anoxic part of the sediment Generally, sulfate reduction rates exceeded methane oxidation rates many-fold, except in one case, where methane oxidation exceeded sulfate reduction 2 to 8 times In the sulfatemethane transition zone, sulfate reductlon was stimulated compared to rates measured above and below Methane ox~datlon rates determlned In incubation bags were equivalent to rates determlned in intact sedlment cores Methane oxidation rates were proportional to the concentrations of methane and also increased wlth Increasing methane concentrations in the absence of sulfate or the presence of molybdate When sulfate was added to sulfate-depleted incubation bags, methane oxidation rates decreased unmediately to less than half the rate measured pnor to the addition, while sulfate reduction was stmulated When molybdate ( a specific inhibitor of sulfate-reducing bactena) was added to a sulfate-free incubation bag, methane oxidahon responded after a lag penod of approximately 3 d , by uncoupling methane oxidation rates from methane concentrations Methane production was not affected From the outcome of our incubation bag expenments we conclude that methane is not, as previously proposed oxidized by sulfate reducers alone Our results support the hypothesis of Hoehler et a1 (1994, Global Biogeochem Cycles 8 451-463), who proposed that a consortium of methanogenlc bactena and sulfate reducers is responsible for net oxldat~on of methane under anoxlc conditions, a process called 'reverse methanogenesis'
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