Prokaryotic and diazotrophic population dynamics within a large oligotrophic inverse estuary

Messer, LF; Doubell, M; Jeffries, TC; Brown, MV; Seymour, JR

Prokaryotic and diazotrophic population dynamics within a large oligotrophic inverse estuary

Messer, LF

Doubell, M Jeffries, TC

Brown, MV Seymour, JR

Permalink

Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Aquatic Microbial Ecology, 2015, 74 (1), pp. 1 - 15
Issue Date:: 2015-01-12

Closed Access

	Filename	Description	Size
	Prokaryotic and diazotrophic population....pdf	Published Version	773.85 kB	Adobe PDF	View/Open

Copyright Clearance Process

Recently Added
In Progress
Closed Access

This item is closed access and not available.

Full metadata record

Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Messer, LF https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8335-2807	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Doubell, M	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Jeffries, TC https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6479-0353	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Brown, MV	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Seymour, JR https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3745-6541	en_US
dc.date.issued	2015-01-12	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Aquatic Microbial Ecology, 2015, 74 (1), pp. 1 - 15	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0948-3055	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/36184
dc.description.abstract	© Inter-Research 2015 The ecology of microbial assemblages inhabiting classical (positive) estuaries has been well documented. However, we know relatively little about the microbial ecology of inverse (negative) estuaries, which exhibit different physical and hydrodynamic properties, including oligotrophy and hypersalinity. We investigated the dynamics of bacterioplankton communities in Spencer Gulf, an inverse estuary in temperate South Australia. We characterised patterns in the overall diversity and composition of the resident microbial assemblage, and tested the hypothesis that pelagic nitrogen-fixing bacteria (diazotrophs) could be an important functional group in the nutrient limited waters of the region. Prokaryotic and diazotrophic communities were evaluated using 16S ribosomal DNA and nifH amplicon tag pyrosequencing, respectively. Significant heterogeneity in microbial community composition and diazotrophic population structure was observed, which was driven by shifts in the relative importance of temperate vs. subtropical and oceanic vs. coastal ecotypes of Cyanobacteria throughout the inverse estuary. The globally significant unicellular cyanobacterium, UCYN-A 'Candidatus Atelocyano-bacterium thalassa', was the dominant diazotrophic phylotype. Temperature, chlorophyll a and nitrogen availability were all significant drivers of bacterioplankton dynamics within the gulf. These results demonstrate the heterogeneous microbiology of inverse estuaries, indicating that specific abiotic and biotic characteristics select for discrete microbial communities, and that pelagic nitrogen fixation may be important in this temperate oligotrophic system.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Aquatic Microbial Ecology	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.3354/ame01726	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Marine Biology & Hydrobiology	en_US
dc.title	Prokaryotic and diazotrophic population dynamics within a large oligotrophic inverse estuary	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	1	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	74	en_US
utslib.for	0602 Ecology	en_US
utslib.for	0605 Microbiology	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
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - C3 - Climate Change Cluster
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Students
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	1	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	74	en_US

Abstract:

© Inter-Research 2015 The ecology of microbial assemblages inhabiting classical (positive) estuaries has been well documented. However, we know relatively little about the microbial ecology of inverse (negative) estuaries, which exhibit different physical and hydrodynamic properties, including oligotrophy and hypersalinity. We investigated the dynamics of bacterioplankton communities in Spencer Gulf, an inverse estuary in temperate South Australia. We characterised patterns in the overall diversity and composition of the resident microbial assemblage, and tested the hypothesis that pelagic nitrogen-fixing bacteria (diazotrophs) could be an important functional group in the nutrient limited waters of the region. Prokaryotic and diazotrophic communities were evaluated using 16S ribosomal DNA and nifH amplicon tag pyrosequencing, respectively. Significant heterogeneity in microbial community composition and diazotrophic population structure was observed, which was driven by shifts in the relative importance of temperate vs. subtropical and oceanic vs. coastal ecotypes of Cyanobacteria throughout the inverse estuary. The globally significant unicellular cyanobacterium, UCYN-A 'Candidatus Atelocyano-bacterium thalassa', was the dominant diazotrophic phylotype. Temperature, chlorophyll a and nitrogen availability were all significant drivers of bacterioplankton dynamics within the gulf. These results demonstrate the heterogeneous microbiology of inverse estuaries, indicating that specific abiotic and biotic characteristics select for discrete microbial communities, and that pelagic nitrogen fixation may be important in this temperate oligotrophic system.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/36184