Stromatolites are the most intriguing geobiological structures of the
entire earth history since the beginning of the fossil record in the
Archaean. Stromatolites and microbialites are interpreted as
biosedimentological remains of biofilms and microbial mats. These
structures are important environmental and evolutionary archives which
give us information about ancient habitats, biodiversity, and evolution
of complex benthic ecosystems. However, many geobiological aspects of
these structures are still unknown or only poorly understood. The
present proceedings highlight the new ideas and information on the
formation and environmental setting of stromatolites presented at the
occasion of the Kalkowsky Symposium 2008, held in Göttingen, Germany.