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MICROBIAL DIVERSITY IN SURFACE SEDIMENTS: A COMPARISON OF TWO ESTUARINE CONTINUUMS
Citation:
Molina, M. MICROBIAL DIVERSITY IN SURFACE SEDIMENTS: A COMPARISON OF TWO ESTUARINE CONTINUUMS. Presented at American Society of Limnology and Oceanography Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque, NM, February 12-16, 2001.
Impact/Purpose:
The overall objective of this task is to develop quantitative relationships for assessing the vulnerability of aquatic resources to global change. The task will contribute experimental and modeling tools for assessments of the interactions of global climate and UV changes with coral reefs and selected watersheds and estuaries in the U.S. These activities are contributing primarily to two APGs in the ecosystems component of the Global Change Research Multiyear Plan: the 2006 APG (APG 3) on building the capacity to assess global change impacts on coastal aquatic ecosystems, including coral reefs and estuaries and the 2004 APG (APG 2) on building capacity to assess and respond to global change impacts on selected watersheds. One major task objective is to assess interactions of global warming and UV exposure that are contributing to the observed coral bleaching and disease. Our lab is working with scientists at the NHEERL Gulf Ecology Lab to characterize UV exposure and effects at several coral reef sites. Other research in this task is examining the interactions between UV-induced breakdown of refractory organic matter in estuaries and coastal areas that enhance UV penetration into the water and concurrently form biologically-labile nitrogen-, phosphorus- and carbon-containing substances that stimulate productivity and microbial activity. This task also involves research in central Brazil that is part of the Large Scale Biosphere Atmosphere Experiment (LBA). The objectives of this project are to assess the impacts of land use and climatic changes on soil nutrient cycles and microbiota, trace gas exchange and water quality in the Brazilian cerrado. This work involves a close collaboration between EPA and a group of scientists from the Department of Ecology, University of Brasilia, Brazil. Other objectives of this task are to assess the interactions of land use and climate changes with the ecological functioning of streams in watersheds of the Piedmont region of the southestern U.S.
Description:
The microbial diversity in estuarine sediments of the Altamaha and Savannah Rivers in Georgia were compared temporally and spatially using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis. Surface sediment samples collected along a salinity gradient were also analyzed for ATP, TOC, and C stable isotopes of sediments and individual PLFAs. Both the Savannah and Altamaha contained similar concentrations of total PLFAs and ATP. However, the Savannah contained higher concentrations of phototrophic indicators (16:1w3 and 20:5w3) and lower concentrations of i15:0, i16:0 and 10Me16:0 (Gram + bacteria). The Shannon Diversity Index indicated significant within river differences due to season, but no difference between rivers. During March and October ?97 (lowest diversity in both rivers) the sediment del 13C indicated areas of C3 deposition at the mouth (-27.6 per mil). The signal was more enriched in 13C (-16.8 to -21.5 per mil) at the mesohaline area, indicating higher inputs from marine and C4 sources. 13C-PLFAs indicated selective C utilization by specific groups of the microbial community. The data suggest that in these rivers, the quality of the natural fluctuation of organic C may be more important than anthropogenic influences in determining the diversity and structure of microbial communities in surface sediments.