The mysterious microbial ecosystem beneath our feet: Unravelling groundwater microbiology

地下水占地球上所有可用淡水的99%，是英国公共供水的重要资源。它包含了一个很少研究的本土微生物生态系统，负责营养物质的循环和盲目的地下大型无脊椎动物的食物来源。由于人口增长、城市化和气候变化，这些生态系统正面临越来越大的压力，这些都可能改变生态系统的组合。地下水的生态监测也有可能在英国成为强制性的，澳大利亚和瑞士的立法已经规定了这一点。我们需要对英国地下微生物生态系统进行首次大规模调查，以了解其现状和控制措施。地下微生物的丰度及其在英国含水层内的活动;2.调查微生物多样性的范围;了解环境对细菌丰度和多样性的控制（水文地质/水文地球化学）。

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.