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Marine Hypersaline Microcoleus-Dominated Cyanobacterial Mats in the Saltern at Guerrero Negro, Baja California Sur, Mexico: A System-Level Perspective

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Microbial Mats

Part of the book series: Cellular Origin, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology ((COLE,volume 14))

Abstract

Cyanobacterial mats in extensive seawater evaporation ponds at Guerrero Negro, Baja California, Mexico have been excellent subjects for microbial ecology research. Exportadora de Sal, S.A. (ESSA) has maintained this solar saltern for more than 50 years. The studies reviewed here have documented the steep and rapidly changing environmental gradients experienced by mat microorganisms and the very high rates of biogeochemical processes that they maintained. Recent genetic studies have revealed an enormous diversity of bacteria as well as the spatial distribution of Bacteria, Archaea, and Eucarya. These findings, together with emerging insights into the intimate interactions between these diverse populations, have contributed substantially to our understanding of the origins, environmental impacts, and biosignatures of photosynthetic microbial mats.

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Acknowledgments

The preparation of this manuscript was supported by grants from the NASA Astrobiology Institute and from the NASA Exobiology and Evolutionary Biology program. I thank Exportadora de Sal, S.A., for continuing field support at Guerrero Negro, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. NASA Ames Research Center, MS 239-4, Moffett Field, CA, 94035, USA

    David J. Des Marais

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  1. David J. Des Marais
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Correspondence to David J. Des Marais .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Jerusalem, Mevo Hadas 20, Efrat, 90435, Israel

    Joseph Seckbach

  2. Inst. Life Sciences, Div. Microbial and Molecular Ecology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Givat Ram Campus, Jerusalem, 91 904, Israel

    Aharon Oren

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Marais, D.J.D. (2010). Marine Hypersaline Microcoleus-Dominated Cyanobacterial Mats in the Saltern at Guerrero Negro, Baja California Sur, Mexico: A System-Level Perspective. In: Seckbach, J., Oren, A. (eds) Microbial Mats. Cellular Origin, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology, vol 14. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3799-2_21

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