Archaeal halophiles (halobacteria) from two British salt mines

Abstract

Samples were taken from the Winsford salt mine in Cheshire, England, which exploits bedded deposits from the Triassic Period (195-225 million years ago, MYA) and from Boulby potash mine in Cleveland, England, which is Permian (225-270 MYA) and is mined for the mineral sylvite (KCI). Halobacteria and obligately halophilic eubacteria were isolated from several different sample types. The halobacteria were characterized by chemotaxonomic methods and most but not all were shown to be very similar but not identical to those halobacterial types that dominate in highly concentrated surface brines. There was a high degree of similarity between the two mine populations, but some strains were particular to each mine.