Dynamics of archaea at fine spatial scales in Shark Bay mat microbiomes

A groundbreaking study reveals that microbial mats in Shark Bay, Australia, host distinct archaeal communities with significant differences between smooth and pustular mat structures. Smooth mats exhibit higher archaeal diversity, dominated by Parvarchaeota, while pustular mats are enriched with Halobacteria and Parvarchaeota. The research, employing high-throughput amplicon sequencing and biogeochemical analysis, found that methane production peaks in oxic layers of smooth mats, suggesting the presence of surface anoxic niches where anaerobic methanogens thrive despite high oxygen levels. This discovery challenges conventional understanding of microbial mat ecosystems and highlights the complex interplay between oxygen dynamics and archaeal metabolism.

Wong, H. L., Visscher, P. T., White III, R. A., Smith, D.-L., Patterson, M. M., & Burns, B. P. (2017). Dynamics of archaea at fine spatial scales in Shark Bay mat microbiomes. Scientific Reports, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/srep46160