Linking Groundwater to Surface Discharge Ecosystems: Archaeal, Bacterial, and Eukaryotic Community Diversity and Structure in Quebec (Canada).

Aquifer systems are composed of water flowing from surface recharge areas, to the subsurface and back to the surface in discharge regions. Groundwater habitats harbor a large microbial biomass and diversity, potentially contributing to surface aquatic ecosystems. Although this contribution has been widely studied in marine environments, very little is known about the connection between underground and surface microbial communities in freshwater settings.