Melainabacteria can be found in a range of environments, including soil, water, and animal habitats. They can be often be found in the gut of humans and in the respiratory tract, oral environments, and skin surface, though rarely. Melainabacteria is often found in natural environments such as groundwater aquifers and lake sediment, as well as soil and bioreactors. Melainabacteria are also found in the aphotic zone of aquatic environments such as lake sediment and aquifers. Cyanobacteria bloom in freshwater systems as  a result of excess nutrients and high temperatures, resulting in a scum on the water surface that resembles spilled paint. Because Melainabacteria and Cyanobacteria are related, it has raised concern because Melainabacteria thrive in groundwater systems. The genomes of Melainabacteria were found to be bigger when found in aquifer systems and algal cultivation ponds than when in the mammalian gut environment.