Marinobacter lacisalsi sp. nov., a moderately halophilic bacterium isolated from the saline-wetland wildfowl reserve Fuente de Piedra in southern Spain.

A Gram-negative, non-spore-forming, motile, moderately halophilic, aerobic, rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain FP2.5(T), was isolated from the inland hypersaline lake Fuente de Piedra, a saline-wetland wildfowl reserve located in the province of Málaga in southern Spain. Strain FP2.

Microorganisms in the atmosphere over Antarctica.

Antarctic microbial biodiversity is the result of a balance between evolution, extinction and colonization, and so it is not possible to gain a full understanding of the microbial biodiversity of a location, its biogeography, stability or evolutionary relationships without some understanding of the input of new biodiversity from the aerial environment. In addition, it is important to know whether the microorganisms already present are transient or resident - this is particularly true for the Antarctic environment, as selective pressures for survival in the air are similar to those that make microorganisms suitable for Antarctic colonization. The source of potential airborne colonists is widespread, as they may originate from plant surfaces, animals, water surfaces or soils and even from bacteria replicating within the clouds.

Chromohalobacter salarius sp. nov., a moderately halophilic bacterium isolated from a solar saltern in Cabo de Gata, Almeria, southern Spain.

A moderately halophilic, Gram-negative bacterium (strain CG4.1(T)), which was isolated from a solar saltern at Cabo de Gata, a wildlife reserve located in the province of Almería, southern Spain, was subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic study. This organism was an aerobic, motile rod that produced colonies with a yellow pigment.

Halomonas indalinina sp. nov., a moderately halophilic bacterium isolated from a solar saltern in Cabo de Gata, Almeria, southern Spain.

A moderately halophilic bacterium, strain CG2.1T, isolated from a solar saltern at Cabo de Gata, a wildlife reserve located in the province of Almería, southern Spain, was subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic study. This organism was an aerobic, motile, Gram-negative rod that produced orange-pigmented colonies.

Antarctic Dry Valley mineral soils contain unexpectedly high levels of microbial biomass.

We have applied bioluminescent ATP detection methods to microbial enumeration in Antarctic Dry Valley mineral soils, and validated our ATP data by two independent methods. We have demonstrated that ATP measurement is a valid means of determining microbial biomass in such sites, and that the desiccated surface mineral soils of the Antarctic Dry Valleys contain cell numbers over four orders of magnitude higher than previously suggested.