Microbiology of Movile Cave - A chemolithoautotrophic ecosystem

Kumaresan, Deepak, Wischer, Daniela, Stephenson, Jason, Hillebrand-Voiculescu, Alexandra and Murrell, J. Colin (2014) Microbiology of Movile Cave - A chemolithoautotrophic ecosystem. Geomicrobiology Journal, 31 (3). pp. 186-193. ISSN 0149-0451

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Abstract

Discovered in 1986, Movile Cave is an unusual cave ecosystem sustained by in situ chemoautotrophic primary production. The cave is completely isolated from the surface and the primary energy sources are hydrogen sulfide and methane released from hydrothermal fluids. Both condensation and acid corrosion processes contribute to the formation of Movile Cave. Invertebrates, many of which are endemic to Movile Cave, are isotopically lighter in both carbon and nitrogen than surface organisms, indicating that they derive nutrition from chemoautotrophic primary producers within the cave. Here we review work on the microbiology of the Movile Cave ecosystem, with particular emphasis on the functional diversity of microbes involved in sulfur, carbon and nitrogen cycling, and discuss their role in chemosynthetic primary production.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	chemoautotrophs,methanotrophs,movile cave,nitrifiers,sulfur oxidizers
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences University of East Anglia Research Groups/Centres > Theme - ClimateUEA
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Environmental Biology Faculty of Science > Research Centres > Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation
Depositing User:	Pure Connector
Date Deposited:	19 Jan 2015 16:56
Last Modified:	31 Oct 2023 01:44
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/51893
DOI:	10.1080/01490451.2013.839764

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