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Microscale observations of sulfate reduction: Correlation of microbial activity with lithified micritic laminae in modern marine stromatolites

¹ Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, Groton, Connecticut 06340, USA
² Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, Florida 33149, USA
³ NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California 94035, USA

We report for the first time micrometer-scale correlation of geologic and microbial processes in modern marine stromatolites. Precipitation of micritic laminae in these stromatolites was studied by comparing microstructure, as observed in petrographic thin sections, with microbial sulfate-reduction activity. Two-dimensional mapping of sulfate-reduction rates was implemented by incubating a vertical section of a stromatolite face on silver foil coated with ³⁵SO₄^2–. Our results show that sulfate-reduction activity is high in zones of CaCO₃ precipitation and indicate that microbial activity produces lithified micritic laminae near the surface of the stromatolites. Similarities with micritic laminae in ancient stromatolites suggest that sulfate reduction may also have been an important mechanism of carbonate precipitation in these fossilized structures.

Key Words: stromatolites • calcium carbonate precipitation • sulfate reduction • bacteria

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