Prokaryotic Novelty and Metabolic Diversity in the Tagoro Shallow Hydrothermal System (Canary Islands, Spain).

Prokaryotic diversity declines near hydrothermal sources in the Tagoro shallow hydrothermal system, yet novel taxa with biotechnological potential are widespread across habitats.

• Why it matters: Understanding microbial community changes in hydrothermal environments is crucial for revealing their ecological roles and biotechnological applications, but spatial diversity patterns remain poorly characterized.
• What they did: Using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, the study analyzed microbial communities across different habitats, identifying key taxa such as Nitrosopumilaceae, Mariprofundaceae, Methylomonadaceae, and Rhodobacteraceae, and observed microbial specialization and biomineralization.
• The result: Findings demonstrate distinct community structures influenced by hydrothermal activity, with implications for nitrogen, iron, sulphur, and methane cycling, and highlight the presence of novel taxa with potential biotechnological relevance.