Draft Whole-Genome Sequence of Bacillus paramycoides LB_RP2, a Putative Polyhydroxyalkanoate-Producing Bacterium Isolated from an Amazonian Blackwater River

Bacteria of the genus Bacillus have been investigated due to the ability that many species have of accumulating polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) via a wide variety of raw materials as their carbon source. Herein, we report the draft whole-genome sequence of the putative PHA-accumulating strain Bacillus paramycoides LB_RP2, isolated from an Amazonian river.

DISTRIBUTION AND STATUS OF THE SUWANNEE COOTER, PSEUDEMYS CONCINNA SUWANNIENSIS, IN THE ALAFIA RIVER (HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FLORIDA, USA)

The Suwannee Cooter, Pseudemys concinna suwanniensis, is a geographically limited turtle of conservation concern that inhabits Florida rivers draining into the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. Threats impacting its conservation status include take for human consumption, predation of turtles and nests, loss or degradation of nesting and basking habitat, water quality degradation, and boat strikes. Our surveys revealed that the Alafia River, which drains into Hillsborough Bay (northeastern Tampa Bay), is likely the stronghold of the southern distribution of P. c. suwanniensis. Multiple survey methods during 2015-2020 revealed that a substantial population of Suwannee Cooters inhabits much of this blackwater river system, including the main channel and at least one of its two primary tributaries. GIS analysis showed that more than half of the shoreline within the occupied extent is currently protected by conservation lands, although additional protection of private lands and improved habitat management protocols are needed to assure the population’s conservation.

Impacts of Hurricane Disturbance on Water Quality across the Aquatic Continuum of a Blackwater River to Estuary Complex

Hurricanes cause landscape-scale disturbances that affect biogeochemical cycling and water quality in coastal ecosystems. During Hurricane Irma’s passage through northern Florida, water movements driven by wind velocities up to 105 km h−1 caused a salinity peak in an estuary/blackwater river complex. Water quality was monitored across the 15 km site to detect the magnitude and duration of disturbance. Saline water intruded 15 km inland into a freshwater portion of the river that peaked at a salinity of 2 psu. Due to the volume of precipitation from the hurricane, significant runoff of freshwater and dissolved organic matter (DOM) caused a decrease in salinity, dissolved oxygen (DO), and Chlorophyll-a concentrations while increasing turbidity and fluorescent dissolved organic matter (fDOM). The disturbance caused rapid changes observed by in-situ water quality monitors over a 3-week period, but some effects persisted for longer periods as shown by 3-month weekly water sampling. This disturbance caused shifts in DOM loading, altered salinity dynamics, and reshaped landscapes due to wind and wave surge both in upland marsh and downstream estuary. Hurricane disturbance temporarily and abruptly alters the aquatic continuum, and observations of system response can help us understand the mechanisms associated with ecosystem resilience and recovery.

Morphological variation among populations of Hemigrammus coeruleus (Characiformes: Characidae) in a Negro River tributary, Brazilian Amazon

ABSTRACT We explored patterns of phenotypic variation in Hemigrammus coeruleus from the Unini River basin, a blackwater river in the Brazilian Amazon. Geometric morphometrics was used to evaluate variation in body shape among populations from four tributaries (UN2-UN5). We found no evidence for sexual dimorphism in body size and shape. However, morphological differences among populations were detected as the analyses recovered significant groups corresponding to each sub-basin, with some overlap among them. The populations from UN2, UN3 and UN5 had more elongate bodies than fish from UN4. The most morphologically divergent population belonged to UN4, the tributary with the most divergent environmental conditions and the only one with seasonally-muddy waters. The morphological variation found among these populations is likely due to phenotypic plasticity or local adaptation, arising as a product of divergent ecological selection pressures among sub-basins. This work constitutes one of the first to employ a population-level geometric morphometric approach to assess phenotypic variation in Amazonian fishes. This method was able to distinguish subtle differences in body morphology, and its use with additional species can bring novel perspectives on the evaluation of general patterns of phenotypic differentiation in the Amazon.