Microbial community composition and dolomite formation in the hypersaline microbial mats of the Khor Al-Adaid sabkhas, Qatar
| Author | DiLoreto Z.A. |
| Author | Bontognali T.R.R. |
| Author | Al Disi Z.A. |
| Author | Al-Kuwari H.A.S. |
| Author | Williford K.H. |
| Author | Strohmenger C.J. |
| Author | Sadooni F. |
| Author | Palermo C. |
| Author | Rivers J.M. |
| Author | McKenzie J.A. |
| Author | Tuite M. |
| Author | Dittrich M. |
| Available date | 2020-04-25T01:02:19Z |
| Publication Date | 2019 |
| Publication Name | Extremophiles |
| Resource | Scopus |
| ISSN | 14310651 |
| Abstract | The Khor Al-Adaid sabkha in Qatar is among the rare extreme environments on Earth where it is possible to study the formation of dolomite-a carbonate mineral whose origin remains unclear and has been hypothetically linked to microbial activity. By combining geochemical measurements with microbiological analysis, we have investigated the microbial mats colonizing the intertidal areas of sabhka. The main aim of this study was to identify communities and conditions that are favorable for dolomite formation. We inspected and sampled two locations. The first site was colonized by microbial mats that graded vertically from photo-oxic to anoxic conditions and were dominated by cyanobacteria. The second site, with higher salinity, had mats with an uppermost photo-oxic layer dominated by filamentous anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria (FAPB), which potentially act as a protective layer against salinity for cyanobacterial species within the deeper layers. Porewater in the uppermost layers of the both investigated microbial mats was supersaturated with respect to dolomite. Corresponding to the variation of the microbial community's vertical structure, a difference in crystallinity and morphology of dolomitic phases was observed: dumbbell-shaped proto-dolomite in the mats dominated by cyanobacteria and rhombohedral ordered-dolomite in the mat dominated by FAPB. |
| Sponsor | This publication was made possible by NPRP Grant 7-443-1-083 from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of Qatar Foundation). MD was supported by the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC Discovery Grant) and the Canada Foundation for Innovation and Ontario Research Fund (Leaders Opportunity Fund, Grant Number 22404). The statements made herein are solely the responsibility of the authors. The authors would like to acknowledge Oleksandra Kaskun for performing alkalinity measurements, Dr. K. Tait at the Royal Ontario Museum for use of XRD and Sal Boccia at the Ontario Centre for the Characterizations of Advanced Materials (OCCAM) for the assistance with SEM imaging. |
| Language | en |
| Publisher | Springer Tokyo |
| Subject | Dolomite precipitation Extracellular polymeric substances Extreme environment Microbial mat Sabkha |
| Type | Article |
| Pagination | 201-218 |
| Issue Number | 2 |
| Volume Number | 23 |
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Marine Science Cluster [214 items ]