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Comparative Evaluation of Anaerobic Bacterial Communities Associated with Roots of Submerged Macrophytes Growing in Marine or Brackish Water Sediments
Citation:
KUSEL, K., T. TRINKWALTER, H. L. DRAKE, AND R. DEVEREUX. Comparative Evaluation of Anaerobic Bacterial Communities Associated with Roots of Submerged Macrophytes Growing in Marine or Brackish Water Sediments. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MARINE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, 337(1):49-58, (2006).
Impact/Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to examine culturable anaerobic bacteria associated with seagrass roots and sediments, and to compare the bacteria found with the marine plant, H. wrightii, with those found with a fresh to brackish water plant, V. americana.
Description:
Sediment microbial communities are important for seagrass growth and carbon cycling, however relatively few studies have addressed the composition of prokaryotic communities in seagrass bed sediments. Selective media were used enumerate culturable anaerobic bacteria associated with the roots of the seagrass, Halodule wrightii, the fresh to brackish water plant, Vallisneria americana, and the respective vegetated and unvegetated sediments. H. wrightii roots and sediments had high numbers of sulfatereducing bacteria whereas iron-reducing bacteria appeared to have a more significant role in V. americana roots and sediments. Numbers of glucose-utilizing but not acetate-utilizing iron reducers were higher on the roots of both plants relative to the vegetated sediments indicating a difference within the iron reducing bacterial community. H. wrightii roots had lower glucose-utilizing iron reducers, and higher acetogenic bacteria than did V. americana roots suggesting different aquatic plants support different anaerobic microbial communities. Sulfur-disproportionating and sulfide-oxidizing bacteria were also cultured from the roots and sediments. These results provide evidence of the potential importance of sulfur cycle bacteria, in addition to sulfate-reducing bacteria, in seagrass bed sediments