Participant Interview:
Danielle Fortin
Geologist
University of Ottawa

Jeff: What kind of research are you involved in at Axial Volcano?
Danielle: My research, now known as geo-microbiology, involves geology, geochemistry and microbiology. So, I'm a confused person. I'm interested in environments that contain bacteria, especially extreme environments. In Axial I'm investigating the role of bacteria in mineral formation at low temperature vents (around 4 øC) and away from vents on the ocean floor. I'm researching how bacteria lead to the formation of minerals, especially iron oxides, iron silicates, and manganese oxides.

Jeff: Why study their formation?
Danielle: Bacteria absorb and release elements, so if you want to understand the cycling of those elements in the environment, you have to take into account the role bacteria play. There is a lot of interest right now in how bacterial cells, especially their cell walls, nucleate minerals from dissolved elements.

Jeff: Every time the ROPOS camera gets a shot of an iron oxide you get excited. What is so significant about oxides containing iron?
Danielle: Iron is the third most abundant element in the Earth's crust. It plays a major role, like bacteria, in mineral formation by using its surface to immobilize dissolved elements. If we have bacteria nucleating iron oxide, iron oxide can immobilize trace elements.

Jeff: How did you get into studying geo-microbiology?
Danielle: I was tired of looking at Ordovician rocks, which I thought were too old. I wanted something recent so I went into studying things that are, say, 3 months old. That's why I turned to recently formed environments like the vents. They are forming as we speak.

Danielle Fortin holding a sulfide spire with iron oxides.

Edge of ledge at Magnesia Vent (now inactive) showing lava drip structures and some iron oxides at the lower edge. (ROPOS 2000)