Аннотация:Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) was used to analyze the abundanceand phylogenetic composition of physiologically active anaerobic microbialcommunities [sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and methanogenic archaea] in theaerobic waters and in the oxic/anoxic transitional zone (chemocline) of the BlackSea. Biogenic sulfate reduction and methane formation were detected at thesehorizons by radioisotope techniques. Numerous SRB phylogenetically related toDesulfotomaculum (30.5% of detected bacterial cells), Desulfovibrio (29.6%), andDesulfobacter (6.7%) were detected in the aerobic zone at a depth of 30 m, whereasDesulfomicrobium-related bacteria (33.5%) were prevalent in chemocline at adepth of 150 m. In the oxic subsurface water layer, Methanomicrobiales-relatedarchaea and subgroup 1 methanogens constituted up to 62 and 35.3% of archaealcell, respectively. The active cells of sulfate-reducing and methanogenic microorganismswere much more abundant in the samples collected in summer than inwinter from the deep-sea zone. The presence of physiologically active anaerobicmicroorganisms in oxic and chemocline waters of the Black Sea correlates with thehydrochemical data on the presence of sulfide and methane at correspondingdepths.ISBN 978-3-642-32125-2