Hometown: Montréal (Québec), Canada

Degree(s) completed:
1997-2000: B.S. Biology – University of Québec
2000-2002: M.S. Oceanography – University of Québec

Degree in Progress:
2002-Present: Ph.D. ESR/Biology

Project Summary:

The microbial communities associated with deep-sea hydrothermal vent environments are phylogenetically and physiologically diverse. Among the most intriguing members of these communities, some species possess adaptations allowing them to live at temperatures exceeding 110°C and pressures up to 40 MPa, as well as to tolerate high concentrations of toxic metals (e.g. Zn, Cd).

Despite the difficulties inherent in the study of such remote environments, a general understanding of the ecology of deep-sea vent microbial communities is emerging from the results of decades of investigation (i.e. since 1977). Large amounts of information on the extant of the phylogenetic and physiologic diversity among these microorganisms are now available. Additionally, several studies have provided insights into the spatial and temporal distribution of different phylogenetic groups in deep-sea vent environments. However, the majority of deep-sea vent microbes remain uncultured, and several questions about the biogeochemistry of deep-sea vents and the roles of the microbial communities in these processes remain unanswered. For my Ph.D., I am focusing my work on two questions:

1- What are the spatial/temporal colonization patterns in high temperature chimneys and what are the factors involved in the succession processes?

2- What are the roles of some of the most common uncultured lineages in the biogeochemical cycles at deep-sea vents?

The laboratory experiments are conducted on samples collected at the Guaymas Basin deep-sea vents during two expeditions in 2003 (www.mbari.org/expeditions/GOC).

Publications:

Pagé, A., S. K. Juniper, M. Olagnon, K. Alain, G. Desrosiers, J. Quérellou, and Marie-Anne Cambon-Bonavita. Microbial diversity associated with mineral and biogenic samples from an active deep-sea hydrothermal vent chimney. Submitted.