Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons^™

Light-Dependant Biostabilisation Of Sediments By Stromatolite Assemblages, David M. Paterson, Rebecca J. Aspden, Pieter T. Visscher, Mireille Consalvey, Miriam S. Andres, Alan W. Decho, John Stolz, R. Pamela Reid

Faculty Publications

For the first time we have investigated the natural ecosystem engineering capacity of stromatolitic microbial assemblages. Stromatolites are laminated sedimentary structures formed by microbial activity and are considered to have dominated the shallows of the Precambrian oceans. Their fossilised remains are the most ancient unambiguous record of early life on earth. Stromatolites can therefore be considered as the first recognisable ecosystems on the planet. However, while many discussions have taken place over their structure and form, we have very little information on their functional ecology and how such assemblages persisted despite strong eternal forcing from wind and waves. The capture …