ABSTRACT
Taxonomically diverse filamentous actinomycetes from extreme environments are a rich source of specialized (secondary) metabolites, notably novel antibiotics. In this context it is surprising that little attention has been placed on actinomycete communities in high temperature habitats which are common in marine and terrestrial ecosystems. In this chapter we consider the taxonomic diversity of thermotolerant and thermophilic actinomycetes in thermal habitats and the potential value of representatives of such strains for biotechnology and bioremediation, notably as a source of small bioactive molecules.
