Raw amplicon, metagenomic and metatranscriptomic data from R/V JOIDES Resolution IODP-385 Guaymas Basin Tectonics and Biosphere expedition between September and November 2019

International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 385 (IODP385) drilled organic-rich sediments and intruded sills in the off-axis region and axial graben of the northern spreading segment of Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California. Guaymas Basin is characterized by high heat flow and magmatism in the form of sill intrusions into sediments, which extends tens of kilometers off axis. Sill intrusions provide transient heat sources that mobilize buried sedimentary carbon and drive hydrothermal circulation. The resulting thermal and geochemical gradients shape abundance, composition, and activity of the deep subsurface biosphere of the basin. 

Among the aims of IODP385 was to examine the subsurface biosphere of Guaymas Basin and its responses and adaptations to hydrothermal conditions. Using high-throughput 16S ribosomal nucleic acid sequencing we examined linkages and feedbacks between mineral composition, temperature, geochemistry, and microbial populations. The metagenomic analyses of the hydrothermally heated, sediment layers of Guaymas Basin examined the distribution and activity patterns of bacteria and archaea along thermal, geochemical and cell count gradients. Analyses of gene expression of subsurface bacteria and archaea provided insights into their physiological adaptations to in situ subsurface conditions. 

All available datasets can be found in the  the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) GenBank database under the Bioproject accession number PRJNA909197.