Geochemistry of an endorheic thalassohaline ecosystem: the Dziani Dzaha crater lake (Mayotte Archipelago, Indian Ocean)

Dziani Dzaha is a maar the age of which is close to 4000 years. While its water is thought to have originated from seawater it is now considered as an extreme environment due to its hypersaline and alkaline characteristics. Those extreme features have led to the simplification of the trophic network...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Comptes Rendus. Géoscience
Main Authors: Sarazin, Gérard, Jézéquel, Didier, Leboulanger, Christophe, Fouilland, Eric, Le Floc’h, Emilie, Bouvy, Marc, Gérard, Emmanuelle, Agogué, Hélène, Bernard, Cécile, Hugoni, Mylène, Grossi, Vincent, Troussellier, Marc, Ader, Magali
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Académie des sciences 2020-11-01
Subjects:
Thalassohaline lake
Endorheic ecosystem
Cyanobacteria
Methane emission
Biogeochemistry
Mayotte
Online Access:https://comptes-rendus.academie-sciences.fr/geoscience/articles/10.5802/crgeos.43/
Description
Summary:Dziani Dzaha is a maar the age of which is close to 4000 years. While its water is thought to have originated from seawater it is now considered as an extreme environment due to its hypersaline and alkaline characteristics. Those extreme features have led to the simplification of the trophic network. Cyanobacteria account for up to 95% of the photosynthetic biomass. The main biogeochemical processes, i.e. photosynthesis, bacterial sulfate reduction and methanogenesis could explain the current water composition. As far as we know, this ecosystem could be unique on Earth, extending the nature and chemical limits of aquatic inland ecosystems.
ISSN:1778-7025

Similar Items