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Geobiological role of cyanobacterial mats in sedimentary environments: production and preservation of organic matter

Created 16/10/2025

Updated 16/10/2025

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Cyanobacterial mats are among the most productive of aquatic photosynthetic systems. They were prevalent during the Precambrian, but now occupy limited, albeit widespread, ecological niches. Organic carbon produced by cyanobacterial mats is, potentially, a source material for kerogen and, later, hydrocarbon formation, a carbon and energy source for biogenic H2S production and metal sulphide deposition, and a reductant for abiogenic sulphide formation. The paper considers the microbiological and environmental constraints on the occurrence, primary productivity, decomposition, and preservation potential of modem cyanobacterial mats. It appears that bacterial decomposition to CO2 and CH4 will proceed at salinities up to halite saturation, even under anoxic conditions, and that substantial preservation will not take place except at salinities beyond this. Anoxic conditions alone will not prevent decomposition of cyanobacterial mat organic carbon. Mat-constructing cyanobacteria appear well-adapted to environments of fluctuating salinity and periodic desiccation. A model that accommodates the environmental limits imposed by the physiology of cyanobacterial primary producers and bacterial decomposers is consistent with the shallow fluctuating saline lake palaeoenvironment invoked to explain some oil shale occurrences.

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Field Value
Title Geobiological role of cyanobacterial mats in sedimentary environments: production and preservation of organic matter
Language eng
Licence Not Specified
Landing Page https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/56d730cb-507d-4097-84f1-65d4436d0b5a
Contact Point
Geoscience Australia Data
clientservices@ga.gov.au
Reference Period 20/04/2018
Geospatial Coverage Australia
Data Portal Geoscience Australia

Data Source

This dataset was originally found on Geoscience Australia "Geobiological role of cyanobacterial mats in sedimentary environments: production and preservation of organic matter". Please visit the source to access the original metadata of the dataset:
https://ecat.ga.gov.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/csw/dataset/geobiological-role-of-cyanobacterial-mats-in-sedimentary-environments-production-and-preservati