On the southeastern Tunisian coastline, very diverse living microbial mats colonize the lower supratidal and intertidal zones, and locally may extend into the upper infratidal zone. The interaction between the benthic cyanobacteria and their siliciclastic substratum leads to the development of several types of microbially induced sedimentary structures (MISS). The mapping of the microbial mats has allowed the identification of the types of MISS that characterize the different segments of the coastal environment. The modern microbial mats have been compared with those recorded at the top of the Holocene deposits, which are composed of biodegraded microbial black mats alternating with white laminae made of clastic and evaporitic sediments, indicative of very high frequency cycles of flood and drought. A hypothetic profile showing their occurrences along the different areas bordering the coastline is proposed as a guide for the reconstruction of the ancient depositional environment. The roles of tidal dynamics, storms, and climate in controlling their genesis and spatial distribution, are discussed and highlighted. The modern MISS of southeastern Tunisia are compared with their equivalents that are well documented through the different geological eras.

中文翻译：

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突尼斯东南海岸（地中海）的现代和全新世微生物垫和相关的微生物诱导沉积结构（MISS）

在突尼斯东南海岸线，非常多样化的活微生物席定植在潮上带和潮间带的下部，局部可能延伸到上部的潮下带。底栖蓝藻与其硅质碎屑基质之间的相互作用导致了几种类型的微生物诱导沉积结构（MISS）的发展。微生物垫的映射允许识别表征沿海环境不同部分的 MISS 类型。现代微生物垫已与全新世沉积物顶部记录的微生物垫进行比较，后者由生物降解的微生物黑垫与由碎屑和蒸发沉积物制成的白色薄片交替组成，表明洪水和干旱的频率非常高。提出了一个假设的剖面，显示它们在与海岸线接壤的不同地区的分布，作为重建古代沉积环境的指南。讨论并强调了潮汐动力学、风暴和气候在控制其起源和空间分布方面的作用。突尼斯东南部的现代 MISS 与它们在不同地质时代有充分记录的对应物进行了比较。