Assessment of total and active bacterial communities in groundwater of two superimposed limestone aquifer assemblages. Bacterial diversity in limestone aquifers

In this study we investigated the community structure of groundwater bacteria in two superimposed limestone aquifer assemblages in the Hainich region (Thuringia/Germany). Samples were obtained from 8 different wells along a groundwater observation transect with sampling depth ranging from 12 to 88 m depth. Community structure was assessed by amplicon sequencing using the Illumina MiSeq platform, targeting the V3-V5 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene.