The importance of methanotrophic microorganisms in the sediment and water column for
balancing marine methane budgets is well accepted. However, whether methanotrophic
populations are distinct for benthic and pelagic environments or are the result of exchange
processes between the two remains an area of active research. We conducted a field pilot
study at the Rostocker Seep site (Coal Oil Point seep field, offshore California, USA) to test
the hypothesis that bubble-mediated transport of methane-oxidizing microorganisms from�…