Stratified microbial communities in Australia's only anchialine cave are taxonomically novel and drive chemotrophic energy production via coupled nitrogen-sulphur cycling.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Anchialine environments, in which oceanic water mixes with freshwater in coastal aquifers, are characterised by stratified water columns with complex physicochemical profiles. These environments, also known as subterranean estuaries, support an abundance of endemic macro and microorganisms. There is now growing interest in characterising the metabolisms of anchialine microbial communities, which is essential for understanding how complex ecosystems are supported in extreme environments, and assessing their vulnerability to environmental change. However, the diversity of metabolic strategies that are utilised in anchialine ecosystems remains poorly understood.

Results

Here, we employ shotgun metagenomics to elucidate the key microorganisms and their dominant metabo

SUBMITTER: Ghaly TM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10463829 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature