Abstract:Microbial mats are complex layered biofilms under the effect of continuous daily and seasonal fluctuations in abiotic factors such as nutrients, pH, light, temperature, and salinity. In this study, community variability of microbial mats from the Camargue wetlands (Rhone Delta, southern France) was deter-
“…Evidence of this is seen from the microbial mat at the reactor headspace (Fig. S2), whose upper layer is likely dominated by aerobic or facultative heterotrophic bacteria and the lower layer dominated by purple anoxygenic phototrophs [12,13]. In all the trials, the initial culture pH and ORP were around 7 and -50 mV, increasing and decreasing to 9.3 and -214 mV, respectively, at the trial end.…”
The availability of agricultural wastewater in arid climes limits the possibility of exploiting purple non‐sulfur bacteria (PNSB) to recover aqua‐feed bioproducts. Thus, this study examines the feasibility of recovering such bioproducts using fuel‐synthesis process water (FSPW) as a feedstock. Experiments were performed under varying light conditions. The results revealed that PNSB cultured in the zero‐nitrogen feedstock had over 40 % protein content, contained substantial lipids and pigments, and reduced FSPW organics by over 70 %. The light intensity significantly impacted biomass constituents and treatment efficiency. The results are promising for the potential development of a circular economy to convert FSPW to aqua‐feed.
“…Evidence of this is seen from the microbial mat at the reactor headspace (Fig. S2), whose upper layer is likely dominated by aerobic or facultative heterotrophic bacteria and the lower layer dominated by purple anoxygenic phototrophs [12,13]. In all the trials, the initial culture pH and ORP were around 7 and -50 mV, increasing and decreasing to 9.3 and -214 mV, respectively, at the trial end.…”
The availability of agricultural wastewater in arid climes limits the possibility of exploiting purple non‐sulfur bacteria (PNSB) to recover aqua‐feed bioproducts. Thus, this study examines the feasibility of recovering such bioproducts using fuel‐synthesis process water (FSPW) as a feedstock. Experiments were performed under varying light conditions. The results revealed that PNSB cultured in the zero‐nitrogen feedstock had over 40 % protein content, contained substantial lipids and pigments, and reduced FSPW organics by over 70 %. The light intensity significantly impacted biomass constituents and treatment efficiency. The results are promising for the potential development of a circular economy to convert FSPW to aqua‐feed.
“…This functional redundancy makes mats resilient to perturbations and allows for maintenance of BCM community stability across desiccation and subsequent rewetting in stream beds, which has been observed to result in higher cooperation under wet conditions (de Anda et al., 2018). Disturbance also often affects layered mats differently with higher stress in surface layers from ultraviolet light, predation, oxidation, and osmotic and xenobiotic stressors (Berlanga et al., 2022). The effects of disturbance, predation, and viral lysis on mat community stability are still not clear and require further research to understand how the potentially unequal top‐down effects on different BCM community members will affect mat nutrient cycling and homeostasis.…”
Benthic cyanobacterial mats are increasing in abundance worldwide with the potential to degrade ecosystem structure and function. Understanding mat community dynamics is thus critical for predicting mat growth and proliferation and for mitigating any associated negative effects. Carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycling are the predominant forms of nutrient cycling discussed within the literature, while metabolic cooperation and viral interactions are understudied. Although many forms of nutrient cycling in mats have been assessed, the links between niche dynamics, microbial interactions, and nutrient cycling are not well described. Here, we present an updated review on how nutrient cycling and microbial community interactions in mats are structured by resource partitioning via spatial and temporal heterogeneity and succession. We assess community interactions and nutrient cycling at both intramat and metacommunity scales. Additionally, we present ideas and recommendations for research in this area, highlighting top‐down control, boundary layers, and metabolic cooperation as important future directions.
“…These mats are composed of diverse communities of microorganisms, such as cyanobacteria, diatoms, and other types of algae, as well as fungi and bacteria 12 . These microbial mats play an essential role in the ecosystem by providing a source of primary production, stabilizing sediments, and influencing biogeochemical cycling 13 .…”
Coastal Sabkhas are mudflats found in arid coastal regions that are located within the supratidal zone when high rates of evaporation lead to high salinity. While evaporitic minerals often accumulate underneath the surface, the microbial mats are present on the surface of Sabkhas. Coastal Sabkha, an under-studied ecosystem in Qatar, has the potential to store blue carbon. In the present study, we investigated the carbon storage capacity of two Sabkhas from contrasting geological backgrounds. The spatial and temporal variabilities of the carbon stocks were examined. The results showed that both studied Sabkhas exhibit a considerable potential for soil carbon storage with carbon stocks of 109.11 ± 7.07 Mg C ha−1 and 67.77 ± 18.10 Mg C ha−1 in Dohat Faishakh and Khor al Adaid Sabkha respectively. These values fall within the reported range for carbon stocks in coastal Sabkhas in the region (51–194 Mg C ha−1). Interestingly, the carbon stocks in the sediments of the Sabkhas were higher than those in the sediments of Qatari mangroves (50.17 ± 6.27 Mg C ha−1). These finding suggest that coastal Sabkhas can serve as blue carbon ecosystems in arid environments.
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