Communities that thrive in extreme conditions captured from a freshwater lake.
Organisms that can grow in extreme conditions would be expected to be confined to extreme environments. However, we were able to capture highly productive communities of algae and bacteria capable of growing in acidic (pH 2), basic (pH 12) and saline (40 ppt) conditions from an ordinary freshwater lake. Microbial communities may thus include taxa that are highly productive in conditions that are far outside the range of conditions experienced in their host ecosystem. The organisms we captured were not obligate extremophiles, but were capable of growing in both extreme and benign conditions. The ability to grow in extreme conditions may thus be a common functional attribute in microbial communities.
School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester CO4 3SQ, UK elowde@essex.ac.uk.
Etienne
0000-0002-0413-567X
E
Low-Décarie
Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 1B1.
Gregor F
GF
Fussmann
School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester CO4 3SQ, UK.
Alex J
AJ
Dumbrell
Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 1B1.
Graham
0000-0002-7280-6391
G
Bell
D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification; D019149:Bioreactors; D000460:Chlorophyta / Q000145:classification; D017377:Diatoms / Q000145:classification; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D060106:Lakes / Q000382:microbiology*; D011792:Quebec; D054712:Salinity
biogeography; bioreactor; limnology; microorganism; selection; trade-off