Fig. 1

Water and sediment biogeochemical depth profiles from Cock Soda Lake. a Nucleic acid extraction efficiencies, total organic carbon, total sulfur measured by ICP-MS (S), and methane and inorganic sulfur compound concentrations. b Oxygen saturation and oxidation-reduction potential (redox) microsensor profiles obtained for three sediment columns. Each line is the average measured on three different spots. c Rates of thiosulfate oxidation determined for different sediment layers of Cock Soda Lake in the dark or light after 24-h incubation under oxic conditions with different amounts of thiosulfate. Oxidation is microbial mediated and proceeds considerably higher in the millimolar range. The fastest rates were obtained mediated by the microbiota from the top 2 cm under dark conditions