The mysterious microbial ecosystem beneath our feet: Unravelling groundwater microbiology

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Groundwater constitutes 99% of all accessible freshwater on the planet and is a vital resource for public water supply in the UK. It contains a little-studied indigenous microbial ecosystem responsible for the cycling of nutrients and a food-source for blind subterranean macroinvertebrates. These ecosystems are increasingly under pressure due to population growth, urbanisation, and climate change, which can all modify the ecosystem assemblage. There is also the potential that the ecological monitoring of groundwater could become mandated in the UK, with it already enshrined in legislation in Australia and Switzerland. We need to undertake the first large-scale investigation of the UK's subterranean microbial ecosystem to understand its current status and controls.This project aims to explore the:1. The abundance of subterranean microbes and their activity within our UK aquifers;2. Investigate the range of microbial diversity; and3. Understand environmental controls (hydrogeological/hydrogeochemical) on both bacterial abundance and diversity.