Abstract
The ability of cable bacteria to facilitate long-distance electron transport has profound implications for geochemical cycling within the seafloor, as it influences a range of processes, including sulfur cycling, metal reduction (especially Fe and Mn), calcium carbonate dissolution leading to alkalinity release, and phosphorus dynamics. This strong impact on the sediment biogeochemistry has rendered of cable bacteria the qualification of microbial ecosystem engineers. Coastal sediments in Tunisia experience a variety of environmental stressors, such as fluctuating salinity, hypersalinity, high calcium carbonate content, drought, eutrophication, and industrial pollution. As such, there is a wide variety of different types of coastal lagoon environments in Tunisia, which are representative for coastal lagoon environments elsewhere in the Mediterranean. Understanding the impact of long-distance electron transport by cable bacteria on various Tunisian systems thus allows us to better understand the biogeochemical functioning of these coastal environments within the Mediterranean.
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