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Living Dendrolitic Microbial Mats in Hamelin Pool, Shark Bay, Western Australia
| Content Provider | Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) |
|---|---|
| Author | Erica P. Suosaari Stanley M. Awramik R. Pamela Reid John F. Stolz Kathleen Grey |
| Abstract | Hamelin Pool, Shark Bay, Western Australia, is home to the largest and most diverse assemblage of living marine stromatolites, with shapes and sizes comparable to ancient structures. A recent field-intensive program revealed seasonally ephemeral occurrences of modern dendrolitic microbial mats forming in intertidal, low energy settings. Dominated by filamentous cyanobacteria, dendrolitic microbial mats are formed when filaments provide a supporting framework as a result of gliding mobility, to build a shrubby morphology. Dendrolites, known throughout the rock record, refer to macroscopic microbialites with mesostuctures composed of unlaminated arborescent structures called shrubs. In these modern examples, thick filaments of Lyngbya aestuarii form the “trunk” of the bush, with finer filaments of Lyngbya fragilis, Phormidium sp. and Schizothrix sp. forming the “branches” These biologically-influenced dendrolitic structures provide insight into the complex interplay of microbial communities and the environment, broadening our understanding of shrub and dendrolite formation throughout the rock record. |
| Related Links | http://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/8/6/212 |
| e-ISSN | 20763263 |
| DOI | 10.3390/geosciences8060212 |
| Journal | Geosciences |
| Issue Number | 6 |
| Volume Number | 8 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | MDPI AG |
| Publisher Date | 2018-01-01 |
| Publisher Place | Switzerland |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Geology Dendrolite Shrubs Microbialites Hamelin Pool Non-lithifying Microbial Mats Lyngbya Cyanobacteria |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
