Marine stromatolites are generated through the interactions of environmental parameters and specific microbial processes. The activities of endolithic bacteria, that bore canals through calcium carbonate (CaCO3) sand grains (ooids) and reprecipitate the CaCO3 as a single layer (i.e. micritic laminae) are especially important in the longer term stability of the stromatolite macrostructure. Image analysis and classification approaches have been used

Biofilms are bacterial colonies enveloped in a matrix of extracellular polymeric secretions. Confocal scanning laser microscopy has been used in conjunction with different image analysis techniques to investigate the structure of biofilms. A major goal is to reconstitute the three-dimensional structure of biofilms, and compute or estimate the biovolumes. Our previous research focused on the utilization of remote sensing techniques and Geographical

The unique geochemical coupling of organic molecules and mineral CaCO3provides a fluorescence signature detectable using conventional confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM). The surface microbial mats of open-water marine stromatolites (Bahamas) exist in a continuum of states ranging from a Type 1 (i.e., nonlithifying) to Type 2 (i.e., lithified micritic laminae present) to Type 3 (i.e., fused grain layer). An approach was developed here, that