Volatilized ammonia supports extremophilic cave ecosystems with unusual nitrogen isotopic signatures
Mackenzie B. Best, Scott D. Wankel, Heather Valeah Graham, Jennifer C. Stern, Jennifer L. Macalady, Maurizio Mainiero, Stefano Recanatini, Sandro Mariani, Ilenia M. D’Angeli, Ilaria Vaccarelli, Daniel S. Jones
The paper shows that ammonia volatilization and trapping in sulfidic caves provides a key nitrogen source for microbial biofilms and their associated ecosystems, leading to extreme nitrogen isotope depletion.
Environmental Science & Technology · May 15, 2026Peer-reviewedMicrobiology