Figure 6

Sulphate-reducing bacteria growth modes. Sulphate-reducing bacteria (green dots) growing at a micro-hydrothermal vent (grey); chemoautotrophic SRB proliferate, branch, and expand around the micro-hydrothermal vent in tubular and spherical shapes. Yellow represents pyrite (FeS₂), orange represents pyrrhotite (FeS), and blue represents seawater.