Microbial mats may also be referred to as algal mats and bacterial mats. They are a type of biofilm that is large enough to see with the naked eye and robust enough to survive moderate physical stresses. These colonies of See more

The ability of microbial mat communities to use a vast range of "foods" has recently led to interest in industrial uses. There have been trials of microbial mats for purifying water, both for human use and in fish farming, and studies of their potential for cleaning up See more

1. ^ Schieber, J.; Bose, P; Eriksson, P. G.; Banerjee, S.; Sarkar, S.; Altermann, W.; Catuneanu, O. (2007). Atlas of Microbial Mat Features Preserved within the Siliciclastic Rock Record. Elsevier. ISBN 978-0-444-52859-9. Retrieved 2008-07-01. See more

The earliest mats
Microbial mats are among the oldest clear signs of life, as microbially induced sedimentary structures (MISS) See more

Most fossils preserve only the hard parts of organisms, e.g. shells. The rare cases where soft-bodied fossils are preserved (the remains of soft-bodied organisms and also of the soft parts … See more

• Biological soil crust
• Cambrian substrate revolution
• Cyanobacteria
• Ediacaran type preservation
• Evolutionary history of life See more

• Jürgen Schieber. "Microbial Mat Page". Retrieved 2008-07-01. – outline of microbial mats and pictures of mats in various situations and at various magnifications. See more