A Vigorous Specialized Microbial Food Web in the Suboxic Waters of a Shallow Subtropical Coastal Lagoon

Fontes, MLS; Abreu, PC

A Vigorous Specialized Microbial Food Web in the Suboxic Waters of a Shallow Subtropical Coastal Lagoon

Fontes, MLS Abreu, PC

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Microbial Ecology, 2012, 64 (2), pp. 334 - 345
Issue Date:: 2012-08-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Fontes, MLS	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Abreu, PC	en_US
dc.date.available	2012-03-03	en_US
dc.date.issued	2012-08-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Microbial Ecology, 2012, 64 (2), pp. 334 - 345	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0095-3628	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/114681
dc.description.abstract	To examine the extent of the microbial food web in suboxic waters of a shallow subtropical coastal lagoon, the density and biomass of bacteria and protozooplankton were quantified under different dissolved oxygen (DO) levels. In addition, bottom waters of a stratified site were compared with bottom waters of a homogeneous site under periods of high and low biological oxygen production/consumption in the lagoon. At the stratified site, microbial biomass decreased with oxygen decline, from oxia to suboxia, with a recovery of the initial total biomass after a 20-day period of persistent suboxia. A peak in density and biomass of purple sulfur bacteria (PSB) (90 μg C L-1) occurred in the suboxic waters 20 days prior to the peak in biomass of ciliates >50 μm (Loxophyllum sp. of 150 μm) (160 μg C L-1), demonstrating a top down biomass control. Ciliates >50 μm were positively correlated with PSB and bacteriochlorophyll a (photosynthetic pigment of PSB). Total protozoan biomass reached 430 μg C L-1 in the suboxic waters of the stratified site, with ciliates >50 μm accounting for 90% of the total ciliate biomass and of 55 % of biomass of protozoa. At the homogeneous site, total protozoan biomass was only 66 μg C L-1, where flagellates and ciliates <25 μm were the dominant microorganisms. Therefore, as light is available for primary producers in the bottom waters of shallow stratified coastal lagoons or estuaries, one can expect that high primary production of PSB may favor a specialized microbial food web composed by larger microorganisms, accessible to zooplankton that tolerate low DO levels. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Microbial Ecology	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1007/s00248-012-0040-z	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Microbiology	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Animals	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Zooplankton	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Ciliophora	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Chromatiaceae	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Oxygen	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Bacteriochlorophyll A	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Ecosystem	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Biomass	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Food Chain	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Seasons	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Fresh Water	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Photosynthesis	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Anaerobiosis	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Oxygen Consumption	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Brazil	en_US
dc.title	A Vigorous Specialized Microbial Food Web in the Suboxic Waters of a Shallow Subtropical Coastal Lagoon	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	2	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	64	en_US
utslib.for	0602 Ecology	en_US
utslib.for	0605 Microbiology	en_US
utslib.for	0503 Soil Sciences	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	2	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	64	en_US

Abstract:

To examine the extent of the microbial food web in suboxic waters of a shallow subtropical coastal lagoon, the density and biomass of bacteria and protozooplankton were quantified under different dissolved oxygen (DO) levels. In addition, bottom waters of a stratified site were compared with bottom waters of a homogeneous site under periods of high and low biological oxygen production/consumption in the lagoon. At the stratified site, microbial biomass decreased with oxygen decline, from oxia to suboxia, with a recovery of the initial total biomass after a 20-day period of persistent suboxia. A peak in density and biomass of purple sulfur bacteria (PSB) (90 μg C L-1) occurred in the suboxic waters 20 days prior to the peak in biomass of ciliates >50 μm (Loxophyllum sp. of 150 μm) (160 μg C L-1), demonstrating a top down biomass control. Ciliates >50 μm were positively correlated with PSB and bacteriochlorophyll a (photosynthetic pigment of PSB). Total protozoan biomass reached 430 μg C L-1 in the suboxic waters of the stratified site, with ciliates >50 μm accounting for 90% of the total ciliate biomass and of 55 % of biomass of protozoa. At the homogeneous site, total protozoan biomass was only 66 μg C L-1, where flagellates and ciliates <25 μm were the dominant microorganisms. Therefore, as light is available for primary producers in the bottom waters of shallow stratified coastal lagoons or estuaries, one can expect that high primary production of PSB may favor a specialized microbial food web composed by larger microorganisms, accessible to zooplankton that tolerate low DO levels. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/114681