TY - JOUR
T1 - The Microbiology and Geochemistry of the Shallow-Water Hydrothermal Vents of the Gulf of Naples, Italy
AU - Barosa, Bernardo
AU - Celentano, Carmela
AU - Migliaccio, Flavia
AU - Diana, Sara Claudia
AU - Silva, Ana Clara Pelliciari
AU - Selci, Matteo
AU - Tonietti, Luca
AU - Bastoni, Deborah
AU - Cascone, Martina
AU - Bastianoni, Alessia
AU - Correggia, Monica
AU - di Iorio, Luciano
AU - Price, Roy
AU - Caliro, Stefano
AU - Milazzo, Marco
AU - Aiuppa, Alessandro
AU - Vetriani, Costantino
AU - Cordone, Angelina
AU - Giovannelli, Donato
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2026 The Author(s). Environmental Microbiology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
PY - 2026/4
Y1 - 2026/4
N2 - Shallow-water hydrothermal vents are dynamic ecosystems that occur below 200 m in tectonically active regions of the planet. While their geochemical composition has been investigated in several locations, knowledge about the microbial diversity they harbour remains scarce. Moreover, the relationships between hydrothermal fluid chemistry, geological settings and microbial community structure in shallow vents have not been explored in detail. Here, we investigate the interplay between fluid geochemistry and microbial diversity in two underwater volcanic regions in the Gulf of Naples, Italy, one under the influence of the Somma-Vesuvio volcano and the other located within the underwater portion of the Campi Flegrei caldera. By combining 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing with geochemical measurements, and by contextualising it with previous geochemical measurements done in the region, we found that hydrothermal fluid chemistry, influenced by the geological setting where the vents are hosted, plays a key role in shaping microbial ecological niches and imposes strong selective pressures on the resident microbial communities. We additionally describe two new shallow vent sites, contributing to the characterisation of the hydrothermalism in the area and unveiling the biodiversity associated with shallow-water hydrothermalism in the region.
AB - Shallow-water hydrothermal vents are dynamic ecosystems that occur below 200 m in tectonically active regions of the planet. While their geochemical composition has been investigated in several locations, knowledge about the microbial diversity they harbour remains scarce. Moreover, the relationships between hydrothermal fluid chemistry, geological settings and microbial community structure in shallow vents have not been explored in detail. Here, we investigate the interplay between fluid geochemistry and microbial diversity in two underwater volcanic regions in the Gulf of Naples, Italy, one under the influence of the Somma-Vesuvio volcano and the other located within the underwater portion of the Campi Flegrei caldera. By combining 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing with geochemical measurements, and by contextualising it with previous geochemical measurements done in the region, we found that hydrothermal fluid chemistry, influenced by the geological setting where the vents are hosted, plays a key role in shaping microbial ecological niches and imposes strong selective pressures on the resident microbial communities. We additionally describe two new shallow vent sites, contributing to the characterisation of the hydrothermalism in the area and unveiling the biodiversity associated with shallow-water hydrothermalism in the region.
KW - biodiversity
KW - Campi Flegrei
KW - geochemistry
KW - gulf of Naples
KW - microbial diversity
KW - shallow-water hydrothermal vents
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105035682178
U2 - 10.1111/1462-2920.70296
DO - 10.1111/1462-2920.70296
M3 - Article
C2 - 41980713
AN - SCOPUS:105035682178
SN - 1462-2912
VL - 28
JO - Environmental Microbiology
JF - Environmental Microbiology
IS - 4
M1 - e70296
ER -