E-Mail IMAGE: CSE researchers collected samples of carbonate rocks from the Del Mar East methane seep using a submersible watercraft. They discovered that deep-sea bacteria are dissolving these rocks, releasing excess carbon... view more Credit: Credit: Leprich, et al., Bailey Geobiology Research Group, University of Minnesota A team led by University of Minnesota researchers has discovered that deep-sea bacteria dissolve carbon-containing rocks, releasing excess carbon into the ocean and atmosphere. The findings will allow scientists to better estimate the amount of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere, a main driver of global warming. The study is published in The ISME Journal: Multidisciplinary Journal of Microbial Ecology, a peer-reviewed scientific journal that is part of the Nature family of publications and the official journal of the International Society for Microbial Ecology (ISME).