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Harnessing microbially generated power on the seafloor

Nature Biotechnology volume 20, pages 821–825 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

In many marine environments, a voltage gradient exists across the water–sediment interface resulting from sedimentary microbial activity. Here we show that a fuel cell consisting of an anode embedded in marine sediment and a cathode in overlying seawater can use this voltage gradient to generate electrical power in situ. Fuel cells of this design generated sustained power in a boat basin carved into a salt marsh near Tuckerton, New Jersey, and in the Yaquina Bay Estuary near Newport, Oregon. Retrieval and analysis of the Tuckerton fuel cell indicates that power generation results from at least two anode reactions: oxidation of sediment sulfide (a by-product of microbial oxidation of sedimentary organic carbon) and oxidation of sedimentary organic carbon catalyzed by microorganisms colonizing the anode. These results demonstrate in real marine environments a new form of power generation that uses an immense, renewable energy reservoir (sedimentary organic carbon) and has near-immediate application.

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Figure 1: Polarization properties.
Figure 2: Long-term power density.
Figure 3: Voltage and current-density record of the active fuel cell deployed at the Tuckerton site recorded August 7, 2001.
Figure 4: Anode chemical impacts.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants from the Office of Naval Research (ONR), the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Administration (DARPA). We are grateful to Rose Petrecca, Joe Debarro, and staff of the Tuckerton, New Jersey Field Station of Rutgers University, Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences for assistance in fuel-cell deployment and retrieval. We also thank M. Sommer, R. Emmett, T. Bridgeman, T. Builder, W. Hanshumacher, D. Jacobson, and M. Spencer for diving assistance at the Newport site and L. Annable for field assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Naval Research Laboratory, Code 6900, 4555 Overlook Avenue, SW, 20375, Washington, DC

    Leonard M. Tender

  2. Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University, 2030 SE Marine Science Drive, Newport, 97365, OR

    Clare E. Reimers & Hilmar A. Stecher III

  3. Department of Microbiology, 106N Morrill IV N, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 01003, MA

    Dawn E. Holmes, Daniel R. Bond & Derek R. Lovley

  4. Nova Research, Inc., 1900 Elkin Street, Alexandria, 22308, VA

    Daniel A. Lowy, Kanoelani Pilobello & Stephanie J. Fertig

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  1. Leonard M. Tender
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  2. Clare E. Reimers
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  4. Dawn E. Holmes
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  9. Derek R. Lovley
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Correspondence to Leonard M. Tender or Clare E. Reimers.

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Tender, L., Reimers, C., Stecher, H. et al. Harnessing microbially generated power on the seafloor. Nat Biotechnol 20, 821–825 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt716

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