Microbial Activity at the Sediment-Water Interface in Halifax Harbor, Canada

We investigated the seasonal and spatial variation in activity and density of the metabolically active in situ microbial community (AIMC) at a landfill leachate-impacted groundwater – surface water interface (GSI). A series of AIMC traps were designed and implemented for AIMC sampling and microbial activity and density examinations. Measurements were made not only at the level of bacterial domain but also at the levels of alphaproteobacterial Rhizobiales order and gammaproteobacterial Pseudomonas genus, both of which included a large number of iron-oxidizing bacteria as revealed from previous analysis. Consistently higher microbial activities with less variation in depth were measured in the AIMC traps than in the ambient sediments. Flood disturbance appeared to control AIMC activity distributions at the gradually elevated GSI. The highest AIMC activities were generally obtained from locations closest to the free surface water boundary except during the dry season when microbial activities were similar across the entire GSI. A clone library of AIMC 16S rRNA genes was constructed, and it confirmed the predominant role of the targeted alphaproteobacterial group in AIMC activity and composition. This taxon constituted 2%–14% of all bacteria with similar activity distribution profiles. The Pseudomonas group occupied only 0.1‰–0.5‰ of the total bacterial density, but its activity was 27 times higher than the bacterial average. Of the 16S rRNA sequences in the AIMC clone library, 7.5% were phylogenetically related to putative IOB, supporting the occurrence and persistence of active microbial iron oxidation across the studied iron-rich GSI ecosystem.

Download Full-text

Effect of Mechanical Aeration on Nitrogen and Microbial Activity in Sediment-Water Interface from Urban Lake

Applied Mechanics and Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.260-261.770 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 260-261 ◽

pp. 770-775

Author(s):

Jian Jun Chen ◽

Shao Yong Lu ◽

Zai Yi Liao ◽

Shi Chao Ai ◽

Min Sheng Huang

Keyword(s):

Microbial Activity ◽

Surface Sediment ◽

Water Interface ◽

Urban Lake ◽

Overlying Water ◽

Engineering Research ◽

The Common ◽

Sediment Interface ◽

Mechanical Aeration ◽

N Fractions

Aeration was one of the common techniques which were focused in environmental engineering research. In this study, experiments were carried out to investigate the effect of aeration on nitrogen (N) fractions and its transformation in the sediment-water interface from urban lake. In addition, we measured the dehydrogenase (DHA) and Chla content in surface sediment to detect the changes of the microbial activity. The aim is to explore the regulation of N migration and transformation in the water-sediment interface during the treatment work of lake pollution. By mechanical aeration, we control the DO content of the overlying water at the range of 1.2-1.5 kg/L, 2.5-4.5 mg/L and 6.1-6.2 mg/L. Results showed that DO in overlying water play a role to the variation of N in water-sediment interface. NH4+-N was the mainly N fraction released from sediment, the lower DO concentration (1.2-1.5 mg/L) in overlying water is favorable to the release of NH4+-N from sediment. Whether under aerobic or anaerobic condition, the releasing of NH4+-N from sediment were both higher than its consumption in the overlying water. The benthic microbial activity of the surface sediment (0-2 cm) was higher than that from bottom (6-8 cm). And the microbial activity in surface sediment was in optimum range when the overlying water DO content was about 2.5-4.5 mg/L.

Download Full-text

Evidence That Microorganisms at the Animal-Water Interface Drive Sea Star Wasting Disease

Frontiers in Microbiology ◽

10.3389/fmicb.2020.610009 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

Citlalli A. Aquino ◽

Ryan M. Besemer ◽

Christopher M. DeRito ◽

Jan Kocian ◽

Ian R. Porter ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Microbial Activity ◽

Population Decline ◽

Lower Surface ◽

Mass Mortality ◽

Strictly Anaerobic ◽

Water Interface ◽

Sea Star ◽

Pacific Population ◽

Mass Mortality Event

Sea star wasting (SSW) disease describes a condition affecting asteroids that resulted in significant Northeastern Pacific population decline following a mass mortality event in 2013. The etiology of SSW is unresolved. We hypothesized that SSW is a sequela of microbial organic matter remineralization near respiratory surfaces, one consequence of which may be limited O2 availability at the animal-water interface. Microbial assemblages inhabiting tissues and at the asteroid-water interface bore signatures of copiotroph proliferation before SSW onset, followed by the appearance of putatively facultative and strictly anaerobic taxa at the time of lesion genesis and as animals died. SSW lesions were induced in Pisaster ochraceus by enrichment with a variety of organic matter (OM) sources. These results together illustrate that depleted O2 conditions at the animal-water interface may be established by heterotrophic microbial activity in response to organic matter loading. SSW was also induced by modestly (∼39%) depleted O2 conditions in aquaria, suggesting that small perturbations in dissolved O2 may exacerbate the condition. SSW susceptibility between species was significantly and positively correlated with surface rugosity, a key determinant of diffusive boundary layer thickness. Tissues of SSW-affected individuals collected in 2013–2014 bore δ15N signatures reflecting anaerobic processes, which suggests that this phenomenon may have affected asteroids during mass mortality at the time. The impacts of enhanced microbial activity and subsequent O2 diffusion limitation may be more pronounced under higher temperatures due to lower O2 solubility, in more rugose asteroid species due to restricted hydrodynamic flow, and in larger specimens due to their lower surface area to volume ratios which affects diffusive respiratory potential.

Download Full-text

Sampling and analysis of the air-water interface with SEM and EDS of microlayers

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100157000 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 47 ◽

pp. 1004-1005

Author(s):

Randall W. Smith ◽

John Dash

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Surface Microlayer ◽

Surface Films ◽

Water Interface ◽

Physical Processes ◽

Infrared Spectroscopic Analysis ◽

Eds Analysis ◽

Air Water Interface ◽

Significant Area ◽

Bulk Chemical

The structure of the air-water interface forms a boundary layer that involves biological ,chemical geological and physical processes in its formation. Freshwater and sea surface microlayers form at the air-water interface and include a diverse assemblage of organic matter, detritus, microorganisms, plankton and heavy metals. The sampling of microlayers and the examination of components is presently a significant area of study because of the input of anthropogenic materials and their accumulation at the air-water interface. The neustonic organisms present in this environment may be sensitive to the toxic components of these inputs. Hardy reports that over 20 different methods have been developed for sampling of microlayers, primarily for bulk chemical analysis. We report here the examination of microlayer films for the documentation of structure and composition.Baier and Gucinski reported the use of Langmuir-Blogett films obtained on germanium prisms for infrared spectroscopic analysis (IR-ATR) of components. The sampling of microlayers has been done by collecting fi1ms on glass plates and teflon drums, We found that microlayers could be collected on 11 mm glass cover slips by pulling a Langmuir-Blogett film from a surface microlayer. Comparative collections were made on methylcel1ulose filter pads. The films could be air-dried or preserved in Lugol's Iodine Several slicks or surface films were sampled in September, 1987 in Chesapeake Bay, Maryland and in August, 1988 in Sequim Bay, Washington, For glass coverslips the films were air-dried, mounted on SEM pegs, ringed with colloidal silver, and sputter coated with Au-Pd, The Langmuir-Blogett film technique maintained the structure of the microlayer intact for examination, SEM observation and EDS analysis were then used to determine organisms and relative concentrations of heavy metals, using a Link AN 10000 EDS system with an ISI SS40 SEM unit. Typical heavy microlayer films are shown in Figure 3.

Download Full-text