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Lost City Expedition: Mission
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Matthew Schrenk

Matthew Schrenk is a graduate student at the University of Washington in John Baross' lab. He is studying geo-microbiological processes, which occur at hydrothermal vents—i.e. the coupling between geological and biological phenomena. Geological processes such as subseafloor volcanoes, or water-rock reactions (like those operative at Lost City) can generate both the heat and the nutrients necessary to support productive biological communities. Matt is particularly interested in Lost City, as a geo-microbiologist, because of the extreme conditions found at this site (high pH, low oxygen, low metals etc.) and because there is no proximal volcanic source of heat near the vent field. The "serpentinization" reactions, which involve interaction of peridotite rock with seawater, appear to be driving the hydrothermal venting at Lost City.

This has significant implications for other places that life could exist, on Earth and beyond, as it demonstrates that volcanic heat is not a prerequisite for hydrothermal flow. Because Lost City is a new type of hydrothermal system, Matt hopes that we can find new types of organisms at this site, which use energy derived from the rock material to proliferate. Doing so would expand our knowledge of microbial diversity and feed-back between the geo-sphere and the bio-sphere.