Abstract Magnetotactic bacteria synthesize intracellular
magnetite and/or greigite magnetosome crystals. They play
a significant role in both iron and sulfur cycles in sedimentary
aquatic environments. To get insight into the biogeochemical
contribution of MTB, more studies concerning
their ecology and their distribution in diverse habitats
are necessary. The MTB community of an oil-industry
polluted area of the French Mediterranean coast has been
previously investigated. Here, we investigate the MTB
community from coastal sediments of a Mediterranean
pristine area using optical and transmission electron
microscopy and phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA
gene sequences. A particularly high diversity of MTB was
observed, with cocci phylogenetically distributed across
the order Magnetococcales, including a novel cluster with
sequences from the Mediterranean Sea designated as ‘‘Med
group’’, and novel morphotypes.Abstract Magnetotactic bacteria synthesize intracellular
magnetite and/or greigite magnetosome crystals. They play
a significant role in both iron and sulfur cycles in sedimentary
aquatic environments. To get insight into the biogeochemical
contribution of MTB, more studies concerning
their ecology and their distribution in diverse habitats
are necessary. The MTB community of an oil-industry
polluted area of the French Mediterranean coast has been
previously investigated. Here, we investigate the MTB
community from coastal sediments of a Mediterranean
pristine area using optical and transmission electron
microscopy and phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA
gene sequences. A particularly high diversity of MTB was
observed, with cocci phylogenetically distributed across
the order Magnetococcales, including a novel cluster with
sequences from the Mediterranean Sea designated as ‘‘Med
group’’, and novel morphotypes.