Unravelling the Role of Microbes in the Transformation and Incorporation of Phosphorus into the Speleothem Palaeorecord

This project will for the first time comprehensively characterise the phosphorus (P) cycle within a cave system. We will use geochemical and microbiological techniques to trace P sources entering the cave, to map cycling of P within the karst and to understand P incorporation into speleothem carbonate. The requested BCRA funding covers a vital part of this wider objective, specifically addressing the role of microbiological communities in the transformation and incorporation of P into the speleothem record.