Microbiome associated with the surface of extremophile filamentous algae from acid mine drainage in the Santa Catarina Carboniferous Basin (Southern Brazil)

In this work, the prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities that colonize the surface of extremophile filamentous algae were characterized, in addition to water and sediment samples collected in an area contaminated by AMD in the Santa Catarina Carboniferous Basin (BCSC), southern region of Brazil. To achieve this objective, meta-taxonomic techniques based on amplicons of the 16S and 18S genes were employed. The filamentous algae found in these environments are notable for their extraordinary capacity for accumulating heavy metals (presenting 9.8% iron in biomass), and for thriving in extremely acidic pH conditions (2.25).