| Summary: | Phylogenetic diversity of the 16S rRNA gene associ-ated with the domain bacteria was examined at the level of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) using the rarefaction analysis from a newly identified shallow water hydrothermal vent, Espalamaca in the Azorean Island Faial (Horta), North Atlantic Ocean. Diluted sea water nutrient agar amended with metals manga-nese, lead, iron and element sulphur, could help in re-trieving highest OTUs (95) from the vent and 39 OTUs from nonvent. Molecular tools implemented on bacte-rial census indicated the occupancy of Gamma-Proteobacteria by 55.78%, Alpha-Proteobacteria by 21.05% and 12.63% of Bacteroidetes in the total population. Occurrence of novel species maximized with Alpha-Proteobacteria (11/20) followed by Bacteroidetes (5/12) signified the necessity of studying these groups to strengthen the biodiversity database. Shannon index (H`) and the Chao I richness estimator illustrated a strong bacterial community in the venting area. The current study confers many bac-terial genera which were not reported earlier in any of the shallow water vents and adds 33 new taxa to the database.
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