title: Microbiological study of the dripping waters in Altamira cave (Santillana del Mar, Spain).
abstract: The culturable microbial populations in dripping waters from Altamira cave were studied and compared with those of the ceiling rock. Water communities have low proportions of gram-positive bacteria, and are mainly composed of gram-negative rods and cocci (Enterobacteriaceae and Vibrionaceae), while those of ceiling rocks are mainly Streptomyces spp. The community differences are probably related to environmental cave conditions: high humidity, relatively low and stable temperature, water pH close to neutrality and nature of the organic matter. All these factors seem to favor colonization and long-term growth of actinomycetes over other heterotrophic bacteria on ceiling rocks.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiologia, CSIC, Sevilla, Spain.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Laiz
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Groth
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Saiz-Jimenez
mesh_terms: D017753:Ecosystem; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000382:microbiology*; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013030:Spain; D014871:Water Microbiology