How Deep-Sea Shipwreck Spatial Attributes Shape Benthic Microbiomes

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "The Ecology of Underwater Cultural Heritage: From Microbial Communities to Macrofauna", at the 2025 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

The seafloor contains millions of shipwrecks with diverse provenance. Prior studies show that shipwrecks may support discrete microbiome in surrounding sediments, forming island-like systems for microbes. The specific site and environmental features that support these communities remain unclear. This study examines the spatial context of shipwrecks on the seabed and how materials associated with shipwrecks shape benthic microbiomes. Sediment was collected around three 19th century wooden-hulled Gulf of Mexico shipwrecks known as the “Monterrey Wrecks”. This co-located trio provides diverse material assemblages constrained by site age, loss circumstances, and environmental context. 16S rRNA gene amplification targeting bacteria, archaea and fungi was performed and sequenced on Illumina NextSeq platform. Preliminary findings indicate site provenance as a key structuring feature on microbiomes, in addition to site proximity and sediment depth. Shipwreck spatial attributes will be quantified to reveal how site configuration, composition, and complexity shape benthic microbiome zonation patterns.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2025   •
• The Ecology of Underwater Cultural Heritage: From Microbial Communities to Macrofauna

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow