Halophilic Microorganism Counts from Rock Surfaces in the Bochnia Salt Mine

Approximately 1.2×10³ to 4.3×10³ CFU/25 cm² of halophilic microorganisms were found on rock surfaces in the Bochnia Salt Mine, Poland. The dataset, authored by Magdalena Kowalewicz-Kulbat and last updated in 2026, compares microbial abundance and 11 identified archaeal species across three sites and two seasons, suggesting rock surfaces act as reservoirs for airborne communities.

Use Cases

• Compare halophilic versus non-halophilic microorganism abundance based on reported CFU counts per 25 cm².
• Analyze seasonal variation in microbial communities based on summer and winter sampling data.
• Study the distribution of specific archaeal genera like Halococcus across different rock types and sites.
• Investigate the role of rock surfaces as microbial reservoirs based on the overlap between rock-associated and airborne taxa mentioned in the description.

Strengths

• Provides specific quantitative microbial counts ranging from 1.2×10³ to 4.3×10³ CFU/25 cm² for halophiles.
• Includes seasonal comparison, showing mean halophilic abundance was approximately 3.8×10³ CFU/25 cm² in summer and 1.4×10³ in winter.
• Identifies 11 specific halophilic archaeal species, dominated by members of the genus Halococcus.
• Sampling design covers a gradient of distance from the mine entrance and human influence across three sites.

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The dataset is very small at 195.0 KB, indicating limited scope.

Provenance

Source

figshare

Collection Method

Surface swabs collected from rock salt and salty claystone, analyzed using cultivation-based methods combined with 16S rRNA gene sequencing.

Time Range

Sampling conducted during summer and winter seasons.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-22 05:46:29; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Bochnia Salt Mine, southern Poland.