Saltern crystallizer ponds as field laboratories for the study of extremely halophilic Archaea and Bacteria

Abstract

The microbial community in salt-saturated crystallizer ponds of solar salterns is dominated by square red halophilic Archaea, Salinibacter (Bacteria), and the primary producer Dunaliella. Thanks to their often very high community densities, much information can be gained about these halophiles by analysis of samples collected directly from the field. This is illustrated by lipid and pigment studies in which specific compounds may serve as biomarkers, studies using inhibitors to differentiate between activities performed by the different groups, and studies in which utilization and metabolism of selected carbon sources is monitored to obtain information on the mode of life of the organisms in situ. These studies prove that saltern crystallizer ponds form perfect outdoor laboratories for the study of extremely halophilic microorganisms.