Populations of exopolysaccharide-producing cyanobacteria and diatoms in the mucilaginous benthic aggregates of the Tyrrhenian Sea (Tuscan Archipelago)

The observations done on the natural samples and the results obtained with the cultures of the microalgae and cyanobacteria isolated from the benthic aggregates suggest that only diatoms have given some contribution to the formation of the polysaccharidic material constituting the matrix of the mucilages, whereas the role of cyanobacteria in the benthic aggregates seems to be related to their capability to create biofilms on solid surfaces, constituting the first step in the colonization of the benthic surfaces by the microbial community.