Nitrogen isotope and abundance data from brine seeps in the Gulf of Mexico

Nitrogen isotope and abundance data from brine seeps in the Gulf of Mexico. Three data tables show (1) Electrical Conductivity data for three sediment cores, (2) carbon and nitrogen data from all sediment cores investigated in this study, and (3) ammonium concentrations and isotopic data from brine pool samples. The results show high enrichments of ammonium in the brines, indicating that the brines actively mobilize bioavailable nitrogen back into the water column. Isotopic data reveal evidence of dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium at the brine-seawater interface. Brine seeps have long been implicated in the formation of sediment-hosted hydrothermal ore deposits. Our results support the notion that brines may have stimulated biological productivity, facilitating trapping of metals in brine seep environments.