Periphyton refers to complex, primarily phototrophic biofilms attached to submerged surfaces in aquatic ecosystems, including assemblages of algae (especially diatoms), cyanobacteria, heterotrophic bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and detritus embedded in extracellular polymeric substances. It develops on substrates such as rocks, macrophytes, sediments, and artificial structures in both lentic and lotic systems. Periphyton plays a central role in primary production, nutrient uptake, and biogeochemical cycling at the benthic boundary layer, and is widely used in ecological research and biomonitoring as an indicator of trophic status, light and nutrient regimes, hydrological conditions, and contaminant or disturbance gradients.
Photosynthetic bacteria do not release oxygen during photosynthesis but can convert solar energy into chemical energy with remarkably high efficiency. They also utilize near-infrared light—wavelengths unused by plants—and ...
Cell & Microbiology
Mar 31, 2026
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The tiny particles of various sizes from new and old car and truck tires did not turn out to be neutral surfaces on which bacteria colonize. Rather, they altered the composition of the biofilms—the bacterial layers that cover ...
Ecology
Sep 1, 2025
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110
Researchers from the HUN-REN Center for Ecological Research have developed a novel three-dimensional modeling method that accurately quantifies how microalgae affect underwater light conditions—one of the most critical factors ...
Ecology
Jun 24, 2025
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Microplastics, tiny plastic particles found in everyday products from face wash to toothpaste, are an emerging threat to health and ecology, prompting a research team to identify what keeps them trapped in stream ecosystems.
Earth Sciences
Apr 21, 2025
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