Microbial diversity of ice samples from the Cenote Abyss cave

Microbial life at the cryosphere represents a unique archive of slow biogeochemical processes in ancient and chilly environmental conditions. The investigation of the geomicrobiology of ice layers from glacial locations provides clues for the past climate reconstruction and for understanding the impact of climate change on the ice microbiome. Here, we provide a first description of the microbial communities inhabiting ice sediments collected at different depths inside the Cenote Abyss ice cave located in the Italian Alps using a culture-independent approach.