Yellowstone National Park hot spring microbial community. hot springs metagenome

Mammoth Hot Springs (YSTONE4). Microbial biomass was sampled (October 2, 2006) from the outflow channel of a high-carbonate geothermal spring at Mammoth Hot Springs (44° 58' 9.915" N. Lat, 110° 42' 35.4" W. Lon). These circumneutral (pH 6.4-6.6) springs contain significant levels of dissolved inorganic carbon (i.e. bicarbonate) and calcium, resulting in the rapid biomineralization of calcium carbonate (aragonite) along and within filamentous structures, that together form the 'streamer' community. Although these environments contain CaCO3, they are highly sulfidic and elemental sulfur rhombs are also present as a minor phase relative to aragonite needles. Consequently, it is hypothesized that the Aquificales present in these communities (temperature range of 70-72 deg C) are aerobic to microaerobic autotrophs, dependent on various forms of reduced sulfur (i.e. H2S, HS-, S0) as a source of electrons. Sequences deposited into the Trace Archive can be found using the Project data link (GenomeProject ID #42241).