Beneath the Yucatán Peninsula, in southeastern region of Mexico, lies a vast network of flooded tunnels and caves. These intricate and shadowy labyrinths serve as subterranean rivers, constituting the sole source of drinking water for millions of people. In August 2019, a team of scientists and divers ventured into these passages, driven by the question of what kind of microscopic life thrives under these complex conditions. Armed with diving suits, specialized tools, and an innovative invention comprising a tube filled with glass containers, the team, led by scientists from Northwestern University in the U.S., successfully obtained water samples to analyze in a lab. The results proved to be astonishing: The research uncovered a vast diversity of microorganisms, enabling the scientists to develop the most comprehensive map to date of the microbial communities inhabiting these waters. In a 2023 study published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, led by Northwestern University geobiologist Magdalena R. Osburn, experts emphasized the delicate and indispensable nature of this aquifer system to the region. Any adverse impacts on the microbial communities within these waters, the noted, have the potential to affect the people living at the surface significantly. The study area, located in the eastern region of the Yucatán Peninsula, is intersected by a multitude of flooded and interconnected tunnels, functioning as underground rivers. These waterways are the sole source of drinking water available throughout the entire region. The diver in the picture is Vicent Rouquette Cathala. Image courtesy of Natalie Gibb. Patricia Beddows, a hydrogeologist and…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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