Metal-tolerant bacteria for monitoring Mediterranean Shallow Hydrothermal environments: the case studies of Panarea

Microorganisms inhabiting extreme environments have developed adaptive strategies that allow them to survive in hostile conditions. For this reason, they have a remarkable ecological and biotechnological relevance. This study, based on a multidisciplinary approach involving environmental characterization as well as microbiological and molecular analysis, assessed the metal tolerance, antibiotic resistance, physiological and enzymatic characterization of 25 bacterial strains isolated from three shallow hydrothermal sites in the proximity of Panarea (Aeolian Islands). The results highlighted the peculiar organization of the bacterial strains which possess specific enzymatic equipments allowing them to survive in such extreme environments. In addition, the study revealed the great potential of microorganisms as excellent bioindicators for environmental monitoring studies. The results obtained suggested that shallow environments can be used as natural laboratories not only for biodiversity studies but also for environmental monitoring.