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Where are archaea found besides extreme environments?
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Archaea
Archaea are found in a diverse range of extreme environments, including the salt deposits on the shores of the Dead Sea.
While archaea were originally discovered in extreme environments, they are ubiquitous and play vital ecological roles in a wide range of habitats.1
Beyond extreme settings, archaea are found in the following environments:
- Cold and Temperate Ecosystems: Culture-independent studies have revealed that archaea are abundant in diverse global habitats, including cold and temperate regions.1
- Soils: Certain uncultivated Crenarchaeota are considered the most abundant ammonia-oxidizing organisms in soil environments.1
- Oceans: Archaea account for approximately 20 percent of the microorganisms found in oceanic picoplankton. Additionally, uncultivated organisms in deep-sea marine sediments are responsible for the anaerobic oxidation of methane.1
- Terrestrial Anaerobic Environments: Methanogenic archaea are present in environments such as rice fields, where they contribute significantly to global methane emissions.1
- Associated with Eukaryotes: Archaea form symbiotic relationships with other organisms, such as sponges, and are present in the digestive systems of animals, including humans, as part of the human microbiome.12