Out of the blue: the independent activity of sulfur-oxidizers and diatoms mediate the sudden color shift of a tropical river
Abstract Background Río Celeste (“Sky-Blue River”) is a river located in the Tenorio National Park (Costa Rica) that has become an important hotspot for eco-tourism due to its striking sky-blue color. A previous study indicated that this color is not caused by dissolved chemical species, but by form...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Microbiome |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40793-023-00464-2 |
| _version_ | 1828056636497854464 |
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| author | Alejandro Arce-Rodríguez Eduardo Libby Erick Castellón Roberto Avendaño Juan Carlos Cambronero Maribel Vargas Dietmar H. Pieper Stefan Bertilsson Max Chavarría Fernando Puente-Sánchez |
| author_facet | Alejandro Arce-Rodríguez Eduardo Libby Erick Castellón Roberto Avendaño Juan Carlos Cambronero Maribel Vargas Dietmar H. Pieper Stefan Bertilsson Max Chavarría Fernando Puente-Sánchez |
| author_sort | Alejandro Arce-Rodríguez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Río Celeste (“Sky-Blue River”) is a river located in the Tenorio National Park (Costa Rica) that has become an important hotspot for eco-tourism due to its striking sky-blue color. A previous study indicated that this color is not caused by dissolved chemical species, but by formation of light-scattering aluminosilicate particles at the mixing point of two colorless streams, the acidic Quebrada Agria and the neutral Río Buenavista. Results We now present microbiological information on Río Celeste and its two tributaries, as well as a more detailed characterization of the particles that occur at the mixing point. Our results overturn the previous belief that the light scattering particles are formed by the aggregation of smaller particles coming from Río Buenavista, and rather point to chemical formation of hydroxyaluminosilicate colloids when Quebrada Agria is partially neutralized by Río Buenavista, which also contributes silica to the reaction. The process is mediated by the activities of different microorganisms in both streams. In Quebrada Agria, sulfur-oxidizing bacteria generate an acidic environment, which in turn cause dissolution and mobilization of aluminum and other metals. In Río Buenavista, the growth of diatoms transforms dissolved silicon into colloidal biogenic forms which may facilitate particle precipitation. Conclusions We show how the sky-blue color of Río Celeste arises from the tight interaction between chemical and biological processes, in what constitutes a textbook example of emergent behavior in environmental microbiology. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T20:59:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4e9a5de41d544f5e80d1a44997728fc1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2524-6372 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T20:59:47Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Microbiome |
| spelling | doaj.art-4e9a5de41d544f5e80d1a44997728fc12023-01-22T12:25:37ZengBMCEnvironmental Microbiome2524-63722023-01-0118111410.1186/s40793-023-00464-2Out of the blue: the independent activity of sulfur-oxidizers and diatoms mediate the sudden color shift of a tropical riverAlejandro Arce-Rodríguez0Eduardo Libby1Erick Castellón2Roberto Avendaño3Juan Carlos Cambronero4Maribel Vargas5Dietmar H. Pieper6Stefan Bertilsson7Max Chavarría8Fernando Puente-Sánchez9Institute of Microbiology, Technical University of BraunschweigEscuela de Química, Universidad de Costa RicaEscuela de Química, Universidad de Costa RicaCentro Nacional de Innovaciones Biotecnológicas (CENIBiot), CeNAT-CONARECentro de Investigaciones en Productos Naturales (CIPRONA), Universidad de Costa RicaCentro de Investigaciones en Estructuras Microscópicas (CIEMic), Universidad de Costa RicaMicrobial Interactions and Processes Research Group, Helmholtz Centre for Infection ResearchDeparment of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural SciencesEscuela de Química, Universidad de Costa RicaDeparment of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural SciencesAbstract Background Río Celeste (“Sky-Blue River”) is a river located in the Tenorio National Park (Costa Rica) that has become an important hotspot for eco-tourism due to its striking sky-blue color. A previous study indicated that this color is not caused by dissolved chemical species, but by formation of light-scattering aluminosilicate particles at the mixing point of two colorless streams, the acidic Quebrada Agria and the neutral Río Buenavista. Results We now present microbiological information on Río Celeste and its two tributaries, as well as a more detailed characterization of the particles that occur at the mixing point. Our results overturn the previous belief that the light scattering particles are formed by the aggregation of smaller particles coming from Río Buenavista, and rather point to chemical formation of hydroxyaluminosilicate colloids when Quebrada Agria is partially neutralized by Río Buenavista, which also contributes silica to the reaction. The process is mediated by the activities of different microorganisms in both streams. In Quebrada Agria, sulfur-oxidizing bacteria generate an acidic environment, which in turn cause dissolution and mobilization of aluminum and other metals. In Río Buenavista, the growth of diatoms transforms dissolved silicon into colloidal biogenic forms which may facilitate particle precipitation. Conclusions We show how the sky-blue color of Río Celeste arises from the tight interaction between chemical and biological processes, in what constitutes a textbook example of emergent behavior in environmental microbiology.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40793-023-00464-2GeobiologyHydroxyaluminosilicatesHydrothermalSulfur oxidizing bacteriaDiatomsRío Celeste |
| spellingShingle | Alejandro Arce-Rodríguez Eduardo Libby Erick Castellón Roberto Avendaño Juan Carlos Cambronero Maribel Vargas Dietmar H. Pieper Stefan Bertilsson Max Chavarría Fernando Puente-Sánchez Out of the blue: the independent activity of sulfur-oxidizers and diatoms mediate the sudden color shift of a tropical river Environmental Microbiome Geobiology Hydroxyaluminosilicates Hydrothermal Sulfur oxidizing bacteria Diatoms Río Celeste |
| title | Out of the blue: the independent activity of sulfur-oxidizers and diatoms mediate the sudden color shift of a tropical river |
| title_full | Out of the blue: the independent activity of sulfur-oxidizers and diatoms mediate the sudden color shift of a tropical river |
| title_fullStr | Out of the blue: the independent activity of sulfur-oxidizers and diatoms mediate the sudden color shift of a tropical river |
| title_full_unstemmed | Out of the blue: the independent activity of sulfur-oxidizers and diatoms mediate the sudden color shift of a tropical river |
| title_short | Out of the blue: the independent activity of sulfur-oxidizers and diatoms mediate the sudden color shift of a tropical river |
| title_sort | out of the blue the independent activity of sulfur oxidizers and diatoms mediate the sudden color shift of a tropical river |
| topic | Geobiology Hydroxyaluminosilicates Hydrothermal Sulfur oxidizing bacteria Diatoms Río Celeste |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40793-023-00464-2 |
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