Spatial Variability of Abyssal Nitrifying Microbes in the North-Eastern Clarion-Clipperton Zone

Abyssal microbes drive biogeochemical cycles, regulate fluxes of energy and contribute to organic carbon production and remineralization. Therefore, characterizing the spatial variability of benthic microbes is important for understanding their roles in benthic environments and for conducting baseline assessments of areas of the seabed that might be targeted by commercial mining activities. Yet, detailed assessments of the spatial distributions of benthic microbial communities in these regions are still incomplete, and these efforts have not yet considered the influence of seafloor topography and heterogeneity on microbial distributions across a range of scales. In this study, we investigated the composition and spatial variability of benthic microbial assemblages found in sediments and polymetallic nodules collected from the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) in the equatorial Pacific (4000–4300 m water depth). We used 16S rRNA gene sequences to characterize these communities. The upper 20 cm of abyssal sediments harbored diverse and distinctive microbial communities in both sediments and their associated polymetallic nodules, with high similarity across topographical areas of the seabed. Assemblage composition differed vertically through the sediment, by habitat and across small to mesoscales. Potential carbon-fixing microbes formed more than 25% relative abundance of sediment assemblages, which were dominated by ammonia-oxidizing Archaea Nitrosopumilus. Non-photosynthetic Cyanobacteria were more frequent in the deeper sediment layers and nodules. Sediment communities had a higher abundance of taxa involved in nitrogen cycling, such as Nitrosopumilus, Nitrospina, Nitrospira, AqS1 (Nitrosococcaceae), and methanogens wb1-A12 (NC10 phylum). In contrast, nodules were more enriched in Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Planctomycetes, Acidobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Nanoarchaeaeota, and Calditrichaeota. Microbes related to potential metal-cycling (Magnetospiraceae and Kiloniellaceae), organic carbon remineralization (Woeseia), and sulfur-oxidizing Thiohalorhabdaceae were also more enriched in nodules. Our results indicate that benthic microbial community composition is driven by sediment profile depth and seafloor heterogeneity at small and mesoscales. The most abundant microbial taxa within the sediments were nitrifying and putative carbon-fixing microbes, and may have key ecological roles in mediating biogeochemical cycles in this habitat.

Download Full-text

Iron-bound organic carbon in forest soils: quantification and characterization

Biogeosciences ◽

10.5194/bg-13-4777-2016 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 13 (16) ◽

pp. 4777-4788 ◽

Cited By ~ 52

Author(s):

Qian Zhao ◽

Simon R. Poulson ◽

Daniel Obrist ◽

Samira Sumaila ◽

James J. Dynes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Spatial Variability ◽

Forest Soils ◽

The United States ◽

Biogeochemical Cycles ◽

Mean Annual Temperature ◽

Aliphatic Carbon ◽

A Site ◽

The Impact ◽

X Ray Absorption

Abstract. Iron oxide minerals play an important role in stabilizing organic carbon (OC) and regulating the biogeochemical cycles of OC on the earth surface. To predict the fate of OC, it is essential to understand the amount, spatial variability, and characteristics of Fe-bound OC in natural soils. In this study, we investigated the concentrations and characteristics of Fe-bound OC in soils collected from 14 forests in the United States and determined the impact of ecogeographical variables and soil physicochemical properties on the association of OC and Fe minerals. On average, Fe-bound OC contributed 37.8 % of total OC (TOC) in forest soils. Atomic ratios of OC : Fe ranged from 0.56 to 17.7, with values of 1–10 for most samples, and the ratios indicate the importance of both sorptive and incorporative interactions. The fraction of Fe-bound OC in TOC (fFe-OC) was not related to the concentration of reactive Fe, which suggests that the importance of association with Fe in OC accumulation was not governed by the concentration of reactive Fe. Concentrations of Fe-bound OC and fFe-OC increased with latitude and reached peak values at a site with a mean annual temperature of 6.6 °C. Attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) analyses revealed that Fe-bound OC was less aliphatic than non-Fe-bound OC. Fe-bound OC also was more enriched in 13C compared to the non-Fe-bound OC, but C ∕ N ratios did not differ substantially. In summary, 13C-enriched OC with less aliphatic carbon and more carboxylic carbon was associated with Fe minerals in the soils, with values of fFe-OC being controlled by both sorptive and incorporative associations between Fe and OC. Overall, this study demonstrates that Fe oxides play an important role in regulating the biogeochemical cycles of C in forest soils and uncovers the governing factors for the spatial variability and characteristics of Fe-bound OC.

Download Full-text

Changes in the Active, Dead, and Dormant Microbial Community Structure across a Pleistocene Permafrost Chronosequence

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.02646-18 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 85 (7) ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Alexander Burkert ◽

Thomas A. Douglas ◽

Mark P. Waldrop ◽

Rachel Mackelprang

Keyword(s):

Microbial Community ◽

16S Rrna ◽

16S Rrna Gene ◽

Microbial Communities ◽

Community Composition ◽

Environmental Conditions ◽

Microbial Community Composition ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Subzero Temperatures ◽

Dormant Cells

ABSTRACTPermafrost hosts a community of microorganisms that survive and reproduce for millennia despite extreme environmental conditions, such as water stress, subzero temperatures, high salinity, and low nutrient availability. Many studies focused on permafrost microbial community composition use DNA-based methods, such as metagenomics and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. However, these methods do not distinguish among active, dead, and dormant cells. This is of particular concern in ancient permafrost, where constant subzero temperatures preserve DNA from dead organisms and dormancy may be a common survival strategy. To circumvent this, we applied (i) LIVE/DEAD differential staining coupled with microscopy, (ii) endospore enrichment, and (iii) selective depletion of DNA from dead cells to permafrost microbial communities across a Pleistocene permafrost chronosequence (19,000, 27,000, and 33,000 years old). Cell counts and analysis of 16S rRNA gene amplicons from live, dead, and dormant cells revealed how communities differ between these pools, how they are influenced by soil physicochemical properties, and whether they change over geologic time. We found evidence that cells capable of forming endospores are not necessarily dormant and that members of the classBacilliwere more likely to form endospores in response to long-term stressors associated with permafrost environmental conditions than members of theClostridia, which were more likely to persist as vegetative cells in our older samples. We also found that removing exogenous “relic” DNA preserved within permafrost did not significantly alter microbial community composition. These results link the live, dead, and dormant microbial communities to physicochemical characteristics and provide insights into the survival of microbial communities in ancient permafrost.IMPORTANCEPermafrost soils store more than half of Earth’s soil carbon despite covering ∼15% of the land area (C. Tarnocai et al., Global Biogeochem Cycles 23:GB2023, 2009, https://doi.org/10.1029/2008GB003327). This permafrost carbon is rapidly degraded following a thaw (E. A. G. Schuur et al., Nature 520:171–179, 2015, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14338). Understanding microbial communities in permafrost will contribute to the knowledge base necessary to understand the rates and forms of permafrost C and N cycling postthaw. Permafrost is also an analog for frozen extraterrestrial environments, and evidence of viable organisms in ancient permafrost is of interest to those searching for potential life on distant worlds. If we can identify strategies microbial communities utilize to survive in permafrost, it may yield insights into how life (if it exists) survives in frozen environments outside of Earth. Our work is significant because it contributes to an understanding of how microbial life adapts and survives in the extreme environmental conditions in permafrost terrains.

Download Full-text

Insights into the Variations of Hao-Dependent Nitrifying and Nir-Dependent Denitrifying Microbial Communities in Ammonium-Graduated Lake Environments

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app9163229 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (16) ◽

pp. 3229

Author(s):

Zhao ◽

Chen ◽

Qu ◽

Jin ◽

Zheng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Microbial Communities ◽

Relative Abundance ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Biogeochemical Cycles ◽

Nitrifying Bacteria ◽

Microbial Populations ◽

High Nitrogen ◽

Hydroxylamine Oxidoreductase ◽

Nitrosomonas Oligotropha

Biological nitrification and denitrification play significant roles in nitrogen-associated biogeochemical cycles. However, our understanding of the spatial scales at which microbial communities act and vary is limited. We used gene-specific metagenomic PCR to explore changes in nitrifying and denitrifying microbial communities within pristine lake and its branches, where the ammonium and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations form a gradient. The biomarkers hydroxylamine oxidoreductase and nitrite reductase genes indicated that strong relationships exist between the diversities and community structures of denitrifiers and ammonium gradients. It showed that the Nitrosomonas oligotropha cluster dominates the nitrifying bacteria in low-nutrition environments, while a new Nitrosomonas ureae cluster accounted for nearly 80% of the nitrifying bacteria in high-nitrogen environments. The distribution and diversity of nirS/K-dependent denitrifiers in the various habitats were similar, but predominantly affiliated with unknown clusters. Moreover, the abundance of all the hao genes dramatically outnumbered that of nir genes. The relative abundance of hao was clearly higher during eutrophication (13.60%) than during oligotrophy (5.23%), whereas that of nirS showed opposite tendencies. Overall, this study provides valuable comparative insights into the shifts in nitrifying and denitrifying microbial populations in lake environments with ammonium gradients, suggesting that unique dominant denitrifiers probably play an important role in the nitrogen cycle.

Download Full-text

Effects of Spatial Variability and Relic DNA Removal on the Detection of Temporal Dynamics in Soil Microbial Communities

mBio ◽

10.1128/mbio.02776-19 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Paul Carini ◽

Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo ◽

Eve-Lyn S. Hinckley ◽

Hannah Holland‐Moritz ◽

Tess E. Brewer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Microbial Community ◽

Spatial Variability ◽

Spatial Heterogeneity ◽

Microbial Communities ◽

Temporal Variability ◽

Temporal Dynamics ◽

Microbial Community Composition ◽

Soil Microbial Communities ◽

Environmental Preferences ◽

Soil Microbial

ABSTRACT Few studies have comprehensively investigated the temporal variability in soil microbial communities despite widespread recognition that the belowground environment is dynamic. In part, this stems from the challenges associated with the high degree of spatial heterogeneity in soil microbial communities and because the presence of relic DNA (DNA from dead cells or secreted extracellular DNA) may dampen temporal signals. Here, we disentangle the relationships among spatial, temporal, and relic DNA effects on prokaryotic and fungal communities in soils collected from contrasting hillslopes in Colorado, USA. We intensively sampled plots on each hillslope over 6 months to discriminate between temporal variability, intraplot spatial heterogeneity, and relic DNA effects on the soil prokaryotic and fungal communities. We show that the intraplot spatial variability in microbial community composition was strong and independent of relic DNA effects and that these spatial patterns persisted throughout the study. When controlling for intraplot spatial variability, we identified significant temporal variability in both plots over the 6-month study. These microbial communities were more dissimilar over time after relic DNA was removed, suggesting that relic DNA hinders the detection of important temporal dynamics in belowground microbial communities. We identified microbial taxa that exhibited shared temporal responses and show that these responses were often predictable from temporal changes in soil conditions. Our findings highlight approaches that can be used to better characterize temporal shifts in soil microbial communities, information that is critical for predicting the environmental preferences of individual soil microbial taxa and identifying linkages between soil microbial community composition and belowground processes. IMPORTANCE Nearly all microbial communities are dynamic in time. Understanding how temporal dynamics in microbial community structure affect soil biogeochemistry and fertility are key to being able to predict the responses of the soil microbiome to environmental perturbations. Here, we explain the effects of soil spatial structure and relic DNA on the determination of microbial community fluctuations over time. We found that intensive spatial sampling was required to identify temporal effects in microbial communities because of the high degree of spatial heterogeneity in soil and that DNA from nonliving sources masks important temporal patterns. We identified groups of microbes with shared temporal responses and show that these patterns were predictable from changes in soil characteristics. These results provide insight into the environmental preferences and temporal relationships between individual microbial taxa and highlight the importance of considering relic DNA when trying to detect temporal dynamics in belowground communities.

Download Full-text

Spatial variation in microbial community structure, richness, and diversity in an alluvial aquifer

Canadian Journal of Microbiology ◽

10.1139/w2012-087 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 58 (9) ◽

pp. 1135-1151 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

P.G. Medihala ◽

J.R. Lawrence ◽

G.D.W. Swerhone ◽

D.R. Korber

Keyword(s):

Community Structure ◽

Microbial Community ◽

Spatial Variability ◽

Microbial Communities ◽

Microbial Community Structure ◽

Gel Electrophoresis ◽

Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis ◽

Microbial Community Composition ◽

Alluvial Aquifer ◽

Gradient Gel Electrophoresis

Relatively little is known regarding the spatial variability of microbial communities in aquifers where well fouling is an issue. In this study 2 water wells were installed in an alluvial aquifer located adjacent to the North Saskatchewan River and an associated piezometer network developed to facilitate the study of microbial community structure, richness, and diversity. Carbon utilization data analysis revealed reduced microbial activity in waters collected close to the wells. Functional PCR and quantitative PCR analysis indicated spatial variability in the potential for iron-, sulphate-, and nitrate-reducing activity at all locations in the aquifer. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis of aquifer water samples using principal components analyses indicated that the microbial community composition was spatially variable, and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis sequence analysis revealed that bacteria belonging to the genera Acidovorax , Rhodobacter , and Sulfuricurvum were common throughout the aquifer. Shannon’s richness (H′) and Pielou’s evenness (J′) indices revealed a varied microbial diversity (H′ = 1.488–2.274) and an even distribution of microbial communities within the aquifer (J′ = 0.811–0.917). Overall, these analyses revealed that the aquifer’s microbial community varied spatially in terms of composition, richness, and metabolic activity. Such information may facilitate the diagnosis, prevention, and management of fouling.

Download Full-text

Microbial communities associated with sediments and polymetallic nodules of the Peru Basin

10.5194/bg-2020-11 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Massimiliano Molari ◽

Felix Janssen ◽

Tobias Vonnahme ◽

Frank Wenzhöfer ◽

Antje Boetius

Keyword(s):

Community Composition ◽

Deep Sea ◽

Microbial Community Composition ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Operational Taxonomic Units ◽

Polymetallic Nodules ◽

Relevant Role ◽

Bacterial And Archaeal Communities ◽

Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone ◽

And Function

Abstract. Industrial-scale mining of deep-sea polymetallic nodules will need to remove nodules in large areas of the seafloor. The regrowth of the nodules by metal precipitation is estimated to take millions of years. Thus for future mining impact studies, it is crucial to understand the role of nodules in shaping microbial diversity and function in deep-sea environments. Here we investigated microbial community composition based on 16S rRNA gene sequences retrieved from sediments and nodules of the Peru Basin (> 4100 m water depth). The nodule field of the Peru Basin showed a typical deep-sea microbiome, with dominance of the classes Gammaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, Deltaproteobacteria, and Acidimicrobiia. Nodules and sediments host distinct bacterial and archaeal communities, with nodules showing lower diversity and a higher proportion of sequences related to potential metal-cycling bacteria (i.e. Magnetospiraceae, Hyphomicrobiaceae), bacterial and archaeal nitrifiers (i.e. AqS1, unclassified Nitrosomonadaceae, Nitrosopumilus, Nitrospina, Nitrospira), and bacterial sequences found in ocean crust, nodules, hydrothermal deposits and sessile fauna. Sediment and nodule communities overall shared a low proportion of Operational Taxonomic Units (OTU; 21 % for Bacteria and 19 % for Archaea). Our results show that nodules represent a specific ecological niche (i.e. hard substrate, high metal concentrations and sessile fauna), with a potentially relevant role in organic carbon degradation. Differences in nodule community composition (e.g. Mn-cycling bacteria, nitrifiers) between the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone (CCZ) and the Peru Basin suggest that changes in environmental setting (i.e. sedimentation rates) play also a significant role in structuring the nodule microbiome.

Download Full-text

TaxAss: Leveraging a Custom Freshwater Database Achieves Fine-Scale Taxonomic Resolution

mSphere ◽

10.1128/msphere.00327-18 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 3 (5) ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Robin R. Rohwer ◽

Joshua J. Hamilton ◽

Ryan J. Newton ◽

Katherine D. McMahon

Keyword(s):

16S Rrna ◽

16S Rrna Gene ◽

Microbial Communities ◽

Microbial Community Composition ◽

Taxonomic Resolution ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Data Sets ◽

Data Set ◽

Comprehensive Database ◽

Fine Resolution

ABSTRACT Taxonomy assignment of freshwater microbial communities is limited by the minimally curated phylogenies used for large taxonomy databases. Here we introduce TaxAss, a taxonomy assignment workflow that classifies 16S rRNA gene amplicon data using two taxonomy reference databases: a large comprehensive database and a small ecosystem-specific database rigorously curated by scientists within a field. We applied TaxAss to five different freshwater data sets using the comprehensive SILVA database and the freshwater-specific FreshTrain database. TaxAss increased the percentage of the data set classified compared to using only SILVA, especially at fine-resolution family to species taxon levels, while across the freshwater test data sets classifications increased by as much as 11 to 40% of total reads. A similar increase in classifications was not observed in a control mouse gut data set, which was not expected to contain freshwater bacteria. TaxAss also maintained taxonomic richness compared to using only the FreshTrain across all taxon levels from phylum to species. Without TaxAss, most organisms not represented in the FreshTrain were unclassified, but at fine taxon levels, incorrect classifications became significant. We validated TaxAss using simulated amplicon data derived from full-length clone libraries and found that 96 to 99% of test sequences were correctly classified at fine resolution. TaxAss splits a data set’s sequences into two groups based on their percent identity to reference sequences in the ecosystem-specific database. Sequences with high similarity to sequences in the ecosystem-specific database are classified using that database, and the others are classified using the comprehensive database. TaxAss is free and open source and is available at https://www.github.com/McMahonLab/TaxAss. IMPORTANCE Microbial communities drive ecosystem processes, but microbial community composition analyses using 16S rRNA gene amplicon data sets are limited by the lack of fine-resolution taxonomy classifications. Coarse taxonomic groupings at the phylum, class, and order levels lump ecologically distinct organisms together. To avoid this, many researchers define operational taxonomic units (OTUs) based on clustered sequences, sequence variants, or unique sequences. These fine-resolution groupings are more ecologically relevant, but OTU definitions are data set dependent and cannot be compared between data sets. Microbial ecologists studying freshwater have curated a small, ecosystem-specific taxonomy database to provide consistent and up-to-date terminology. We created TaxAss, a workflow that leverages this database to assign taxonomy. We found that TaxAss improves fine-resolution taxonomic classifications (family, genus, and species). Fine taxonomic groupings are more ecologically relevant, so they provide an alternative to OTU-based analyses that is consistent and comparable between data sets.

Download Full-text

Microbial Community Stratification Linked to Utilization of Carbohydrates and Phosphorus Limitation in a Boreal Peatland at Marcell Experimental Forest, Minnesota, USA

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.00205-14 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 80 (11) ◽

pp. 3518-3530 ◽

Cited By ~ 61

Author(s):

Xueju Lin ◽

Malak M. Tfaily ◽

J. Megan Steinweg ◽

Patrick Chanton ◽

Kaitlin Esson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Microbial Community ◽

Microbial Communities ◽

Community Composition ◽

Hot Spot ◽

Microbial Community Composition ◽

Phosphorus Limitation ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Content Type ◽

Gene Abundance ◽

P Limitation

ABSTRACTThis study investigated the abundance, distribution, and composition of microbial communities at the watershed scale in a boreal peatland within the Marcell Experimental Forest (MEF), Minnesota, USA. Through a close coupling of next-generation sequencing, biogeochemistry, and advanced analytical chemistry, a biogeochemical hot spot was revealed in the mesotelm (30- to 50-cm depth) as a pronounced shift in microbial community composition in parallel with elevated peat decomposition. The relative abundance ofAcidobacteriaand theSyntrophobacteraceae, including known hydrocarbon-utilizing genera, was positively correlated with carbohydrate and organic acid content, showing a maximum in the mesotelm. The abundance ofArchaea(primarily crenarchaeal groups 1.1c and 1.3) increased with depth, reaching up to 60% of total small-subunit (SSU) rRNA gene sequences in the deep peat below the 75-cm depth. Stable isotope geochemistry and potential rates of methane production paralleled vertical changes in methanogen community composition to indicate a predominance of acetoclastic methanogenesis mediated by theMethanosarcinalesin the mesotelm, while hydrogen-utilizing methanogens predominated in the deeper catotelm. RNA-derived pyrosequence libraries corroborated DNA sequence data to indicate that the above-mentioned microbial groups are metabolically active in the mid-depth zone. Fungi showed a maximum in rRNA gene abundance above the 30-cm depth, which comprised only an average of 0.1% of total bacterial and archaeal rRNA gene abundance, indicating prokaryotic dominance. Ratios of C to P enzyme activities approached 0.5 at the acrotelm and catotelm, indicating phosphorus limitation. In contrast, P limitation pressure appeared to be relieved in the mesotelm, likely due to P solubilization by microbial production of organic acids and C-P lyases. Based on path analysis and the modeling of community spatial turnover, we hypothesize that P limitation outweighs N limitation at MEF, and microbial communities are structured by the dominant shrub,Chamaedaphne calyculata, which may act as a carbon source for major consumers in the peatland.

Download Full-text

Emergence Shapes the Structure of the Seed Microbiota

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.03722-14 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 81 (4) ◽

pp. 1257-1266 ◽

Cited By ~ 146

Author(s):

Matthieu Barret ◽

Martial Briand ◽

Sophie Bonneau ◽

Anne Préveaux ◽

Sophie Valière ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Microbial Community ◽

Microbial Communities ◽

Community Composition ◽

Microbial Community Composition ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Practical Applications ◽

Bacterial Marker ◽

Species Specific ◽

Diversity Studies

ABSTRACTSeeds carry complex microbial communities, which may exert beneficial or deleterious effects on plant growth and plant health. To date, the composition of microbial communities associated with seeds has been explored mainly through culture-based diversity studies and therefore remains largely unknown. In this work, we analyzed the structures of the seed microbiotas of different plants from the family Brassicaceae and their dynamics during germination and emergence through sequencing of three molecular markers: the ITS1 region of the fungal internal transcribed spacer, the V4 region of 16S rRNA gene, and a species-specific bacterial marker based on a fragment ofgyrB. Sequence analyses revealed important variations in microbial community composition between seed samples. Moreover, we found that emergence strongly influences the structure of the microbiota, with a marked reduction of bacterial and fungal diversity. This shift in the microbial community composition is mostly due to an increase in the relative abundance of some bacterial and fungal taxa possessing fast-growing abilities. Altogether, our results provide an estimation of the role of the seed as a source of inoculum for the seedling, which is crucial for practical applications in developing new strategies of inoculation for disease prevention.

Download Full-text

Temporal and Vertical Variation in Microbial Community Composition in Response to Physicochemical Characteristics in a Water Column of Highly Eutrophied Jinhae Bay, South Korea

Journal of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology ◽

10.1159/000489633 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 28 (2) ◽

pp. 65-77 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jiyoung Lee ◽

Jae-Hyun Lim ◽

Junhyung Park ◽

Il-Nam Kim

Keyword(s):

Microbial Community ◽

South Korea ◽

Microbial Communities ◽

Water Column ◽

Community Composition ◽

Microbial Community Composition ◽

Temporal Changes ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Vertical Variation ◽

Jinhae Bay

Microbial communities play an essential role in marine biogeochemical cycles. Physical and biogeochemical changes in Jinhae Bay, the most anthropogenically eutrophied bay on the coasts of South Korea, are well described, but less is known about the associated changes in microbial communities. Temporal and vertical variation in microbial communities at three depths (surface, middle, and bottom) at seven time points (June to December) at the J1 sampling site were investigated on the MiSeq platform based on the 16S rRNA gene. Overall, the microbial community was dominated by Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, and Bacteroidetes from June to November, whereas Firmicutes were dominant in December, especially in the middle and bottom layers. The results indicate that the microbial community composition strongly varied with temporal changes in the physicochemical water properties. Moreover, the community composition differed markedly between the surface and middle layers and the bottom layer in the summer, when the water column was strongly stratified and bottom water hypoxia developed. A redundancy analysis suggested a significant correlation between physicochemical variables (i.e., temperature, salinity, and oxygen concentration) and microbial community composition. This study indicates that temporal changes in water conditions and eutrophication-induced hypoxia effectively shape the structure of the microbial community.

Download Full-text