The transition metal ion composition of surface ocean water is distinguished by the relative surfeit of molybdenum and vanadium compared to the particular deficit of iron, whereas in other environments, such as the Black Sea, manganese is especially abundant in surface waters. Organisms evolve to adapt to their chemical environments, thus the bioinorganic chemistry of organisms from these environments is anticipated to reflect the unique transition metal ion composition. The chemistry of vanadium haloperoxidase is one example arising from the abundance of vanadium, halides and hydrogen peroxide in the ocean. The reactivity of algal vanadium bromoperoxidase in quorum quenching will be presented. The chemistry of siderophores produced by marine bacteria is another example, where the structure and reactivity of siderophores produced by Black Sea microbes differs substantially from oceanic bacteria. Consequences of these differences are under investigation.

Elements of the high seas: The bio(geo)inorganic chemistry of the marine environment

245th National Meeting (2013)

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