Serpulid‑microbialite bioconstructions in a submarine cave of the E Mediterranean

What is it about?

Biogenic elongate structures resembling stalactites but formed by the concomitant accretion and superimpositionof organisms are described from a submarine cave from Cyprus. A relevant , although not visible at naked eye, component of these bioconstructions is given by carbonates produced by microbial activity. This interaction between microbes and other biogenic constituent was already known from other caves in the Mediterranean and the Belize.

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Why is it important?

We documented actively growing structures of this kind in caves from the eastern sector of the Mediterranean and highlighted as the colonization degree on their outer surfaces and distribution pattern of modern encrusters are related to sediment exposure and substrate conditions, i. e. the roughness/smoothness of the exposed surfaces. We also found that the microbialite cemented syndepositionally and bacteria thrived on decaying metazoan organic matter.

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