Insights into foraminiferal influences on microfabrics of microbialites at Highborne Cay, Bahamas.

ABSTRACT: Microbialites, which are organosedimentary structures formed by microbial communities through binding and trapping and/or in situ precipitation, have a wide array of distinctive morphologies and long geologic record. The origin of morphological variability is hotly debated; elucidating the cause or causes of microfabric differences could provide insights into ecosystem functioning and biogeochemistry during much of Earth's history. Although rare today, morphologically distinct, co-occurring extant microbialites provide the opportunity to examine and compare microbial communities that may be responsible for establishing and modifying microbialite microfabrics. Highborne Cay, Bahamas, has extant laminated (i.e., stromatolites) and clotted (i.e., thrombolites) marine microbialites in close pr

SUBMITTER: Bernhard JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3683713 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature