Anaerobic ammonium oxidation linked to sulfate and ferric iron reduction fuels nitrogen loss in marine sediments.

Availability of fixed nitrogen is a pivotal driver on primary productivity in the oceans, thus the identification of key processes triggering nitrogen losses from these ecosystems is of major importance as they affect ecosystems function and consequently global biogeochemical cycles. Denitrification and anaerobic ammonium oxidation coupled to nitrite reduction (Anammox) are the only identified marine sinks for fixed nitrogen. The present study provides evidence indicating that anaerobic ammonium oxidation coupled to the reduction of sulfate, the most abundant electron acceptor present in the oceans, prevails in marine sediments.