title: In situ biomass production of a hot spring sulfur-turf microbial mat.
abstract: Sulfur-turf microbial mats develop in sulfide-containing hot spring water dominated by chemolithoautotrophic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. The sulfur-turf mat that developed at a source of hot water (72°C, pH 6.8) exhibited a growth rate of 0.48±0.04 h(-1) and biomass production of 4.6±1.0 mg of C h(-1). On a per-cell basis, this biomass production was at least an order of magnitude higher than the CO(2) uptake rate calculated for a photosynthetic mat dominated by thermophilic Synechococcus spp. at 70°C. The sulfur-turf-associated microbial community likely contributes to carbon fixation and primary production in this geothermal habitat.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geosciences, Faculty of Science, Shizuoka University, 836 Oya, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422–8529, Japan. shkimur@ipc.shizuoka.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Kousuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nashimoto
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hanada
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kato
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D018533:Biomass; D057486:Carbon Cycle; D017753:Ecosystem; D045482:Hot Springs / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology*; D007564:Japan; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D013440:Sulfides; D013455:Sulfur / Q000737:chemistry; D046940:Synechococcus / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D013440:Sulfides; D013455:Sulfur