Back To TRS Yellowstone

Bacterial Art

Okay, I know. Bacteria. Yuck. But just go with me on this one. I think you'll be surprised. With the flood of anti-bacterial products on the markets these days, it's easy to get the impression that bacteria are out to get us. But Yellowstone, with its array of hot springs, offers us a glimpse into a world not only little known to most people, but largely unknown to science even today.

Recent research into the bacterial mats of Yellowstone have indicated some things you may have trouble believing: there may be as much biomass (living stuff) beneath the surface of the earth as there is above the surface, and there may be as many different species of bacteria as there are of every other kind of living thing combined. One type, the archebacteria ("old"), has genetic material with basic sequences that all other living things have in common. Another species discovered in Yellowstone led to the development of DNA replication that has helped solve crimes and that proved indispensable in the technique used to map the human genome .

Many lesser forms of life (if you can imagine such a thing) might have considered those accomplishments enough to kick back and relax awhile. But bacteria are anything but lazy. After all, they (actually their close relatives the cyanobacteria) changed the entire atmosphere of the earth from poisonous methane gas to the breathable oxygen-rich atmosphere we all depend upon today. Indeed, these hardy beings are the most likely candidates for long-term space travel and may have brought life itself to earth. So it shouldn't be a huge surprise to find that they have (or are) an artistic streak as well..

I certainly wouldn't claim that bacteria make any sort of conscious choice in creating their beautiful displays. Most of the patterns you see on this page are the result of many different species growing in water of different temperatures, acidity, and other conditions. But I find the intricate designs both fascinating and aesthetically appealling.

This, for instance, looks like an aerial shot of a cloud- shrouded South Pacific atoll, ringed by coral reefs. It's actually a small rocky island in a steaming hot pool of acidic water just a few inches deep.

Others seem to reflect a more cosmic influence, like this, which looks like a photo from the Hubble Space Telescope, complete with giant gas clouds, odd-shaped galaxies, and a brilliant star. The star, of course, is our own sun reflected in the small pool. But perhaps the form reflects some distant, ancient place of origin for the bacteria.

Others seem more like art-for-art's- sake, like this more abstract piece. One of the challenges for the photographer is deciding where the artistic portion is, and often I could have chosen many other compositions that would be just as interesting. Here, the different colors reflect the temperature gradients in the small stream of hot water flowing in at the top of the photo.

In some cases, the bacteria create their own medium. In the photo above, bacteria have created an acidic environment which dissolves the calcium-rich travertine of the rocks. When gas bubbles percolate up, they stir the mixture into mud.

These works of art are never really complete, since they represent the work of living systems. I took this photo in May of 2003, thinking that it looked a little like Moby Dick from Herman Melville's classic novel. When I returned in July, 2005, I found the whale a bleached skeleton of its former self. Double click on the image to see the more recent photo; a single click will restore the original.

The constant temperature throughout the year of the hot springs in Yellowstone provide a uniquely stable environment. Bacteria seem to thrive in conditions that would quickly kill other creatures. Because of this lack of competition, bacterial mats can form, creating terraces in the slow-moving water. Such macroscopic bacterial displays are rare elsewhere.

While bacteria often work in subtle gradients, sometimes they show off their more flamboyant side, juxtaposing extreme differences in color and texture.

While bacterial art is never static, it is very fragile. Inconsiderate visitors to Yellowstone National Park have thrown trash and carved initials into these delicate displays. But the park's wildlife lacks artistic sensibility: in the lower left corner you can see the tracks of bison and elk.

In this pool, the bacteria have created a Zen garden effect by keeping the minerals dissolved in the water. At the top of the photo is a dead tree trunk, killed by the toxic chemicals. At the bottom are some Northern Green Bog Orchids, one of the very few plants that can survive in these conditions. That's all the more odd since orchids are generally very delicate plants. They produce a microscopic, single- celled seed that requires the presence of a specific fungus in order to germinate.

Some bacterial art is impressive for its sheer magnitude. This edge of one of the largest hot pools is lined with a network of bacterial mats that forms a gradient into the dark water of the pool.

Like red hot magma flowing from beneath the surface of the earth, this stream glows with its thriving bacterial communities. I hope I've helped to convince a few people that bacteria, far from being our enemies, are fascinating, beautiful creatures. After all, the number of harmful species is a lower percentage than the number of dangerous humans in our own species. Still, it's not a bad idea to wash your hands fairly often.

Back To TRS Yellowstone