Exceptionally high carbon fixation and nitrogen assimilation rates in microbial mats of an alkaline soda lake

Alkaline soda lakes, characterized by high pH and high concentrations of sodium and dissolved carbonates, support diverse alkaliphilic microbial communities. Using stable isotope probing with 13C-bicarbonate, 15N-ammonium, 15N-nitrate, and 15N-urea, we measured assimilation rates for carbon and nitrogen by microbial mats of alkaline Goodenough Lake, Canada. Our results showed extremely high carbon fixation rates averaging 24 g C/m2/day, equalling or exceeding rates measured fifty years ago in African alkaline soda lakes. Urea consumption occurred both during the day and during the night, but assimilation mainly occurred during the day. Ammonium assimilation was stable between day and night. Apparently, cyanobacteria preferred urea as a nitrogen source, whereas heterotrophs preferred ammonium. Two different cyanobacteria dominated the microbial mats, Nodosilinea and Sodalinema. Using Orbitrap mass spectrometry, we only observed assimilation of 13C bicarbonate by Sodalinema, but not by Nodosilinea. The latter might focus on different carbon sources, such as urea. Strong negative correlation between their abundances in proteomes also supported niche partitioning between these two cyanobacteria.