Activity and distribution of bacterial populations in Middle Atlantic Bight shelf sands

Rusch, Antje; Huettel, Markus; Reimers, Clare E.; Taghon, Gary L.; Fuller, Charlotte M.

doi:10.1111/j.1574-6941.2003.tb01093.x

Cited by 100 publications

(71 citation statements)

References 73 publications

(80 reference statements)

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“…Previous work has explored the diversity of microorganisms primarily in subtidal or submerged permeable marine sediment (10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17), while little work has explored their diversity in intertidal sands (20)(21)(22)(23)(24). The present study uncovered extensive diversity in intertidal sands at 49 beaches spanning 1,350 km of the California coast using next-generation 454 sequencing of the V6-V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

“…The majority of work characterizing microbial communities at beaches has been carried out in subtidal sands, or in the saturated zone of the beach aquifer. The microbial community present in subtidal sands has been characterized using a variety of techniques, including massively parallel next-generation sequencing, 16S rRNA clone libraries, terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism, automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, and characterization of enzymatic activity (10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17). These studies identified resident and rare taxa present in diverse geographical locations and in some cases related microbial community diversity to biogeochemical or physical gradients.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Diversity and Transport of Microorganisms in Intertidal Sands of the California Coast

Boehm

Yamahara

Sassoubre

2014

Appl Environ Microbiol

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Forced by tides and waves, large volumes of seawater are flushed through the beach daily. Organic material and nutrients in seawater are remineralized and cycled as they pass through the beach. Microorganisms are responsible for most of the biogeochemical cycling in the beach; however, few studies have characterized their diversity in intertidal sands, and little work has characterized the extent to which microbes are transported between different compartments of the beach. The present study uses nextgeneration massively parallel sequencing to characterize the microbial community present at 49 beaches along the coast of California. In addition, we characterize the transport of microorganisms within intertidal sands using laboratory column experiments. We identified extensive diversity in the beach sands. Nearly 1,000 unique taxa were identified in sands from 10 or more unique beaches, suggesting the existence of a group of "cosmopolitan" sand microorganisms. A biogeographical analysis identified a taxon-distance relationship among the beaches. In addition, sands with similar grain size, organic carbon content, exposed to a similar wave climate, and having the same degree of anthropogenic influence tended to have similar microbial communities. Column experiments identified microbes readily mobilized by seawater infiltrating through unsaturated intertidal sands. The ease with which microbes were mobilized suggests that intertidal sands may represent a reservoir of bacteria that seed the beach aquifer where they may partake in biogeochemical cycling.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Diversity and Transport of Microorganisms in Intertidal Sands of the California Coast

Boehm

Yamahara

Sassoubre

2014

Appl Environ Microbiol

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“…Initially this seems surprising, as OM availability in the water column is higher in spring and summer due to increased pelagic primary production. However, previous studies have shown that despite high water column concentrations of dissolved organic carbon and particulate organic carbon (DOC and POC), summer concentrations of DOC in the surface layer of permeable sediments are comparatively low [61], [62]. This is a result of reduced wind and wave action during summer, which leads to decreased pore water filtration and limits the transport of POC into the sediment.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Fate of Nitrate in Intertidal Permeable Sediments

et al. 2014

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Coastal zones act as a sink for riverine and atmospheric nitrogen inputs and thereby buffer the open ocean from the effects of anthropogenic activity. Recently, microbial activity in sandy permeable sediments has been identified as a dominant source of N-loss in coastal zones, namely through denitrification. Some of the highest coastal denitrification rates measured so far occur within the intertidal permeable sediments of the eutrophied Wadden Sea. Still, denitrification alone can often account for only half of the substantial nitrate (NO3 −) consumption. Therefore, to investigate alternative NO3 − sinks such as dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA), intracellular nitrate storage by eukaryotes and isotope equilibration effects we carried out 15NO3 − amendment experiments. By considering all of these sinks in combination, we could quantify the fate of the 15NO3 − added to the sediment. Denitrification was the dominant nitrate sink (50–75%), while DNRA, which recycles N to the environment accounted for 10–20% of NO3 − consumption. Intriguingly, we also observed that between 20 and 40% of 15NO3 − added to the incubations entered an intracellular pool of NO3 − and was subsequently respired when nitrate became limiting. Eukaryotes were responsible for a large proportion of intracellular nitrate storage, and it could be shown through inhibition experiments that at least a third of the stored nitrate was subsequently also respired by eukaryotes. The environmental significance of the intracellular nitrate pool was confirmed by in situ measurements which revealed that intracellular storage can accumulate nitrate at concentrations six fold higher than the surrounding porewater. This intracellular pool is so far not considered when modeling N-loss from intertidal permeable sediments; however it can act as a reservoir for nitrate during low tide. Consequently, nitrate respiration supported by intracellular nitrate storage can add an additional 20% to previous nitrate reduction estimates in intertidal sediments, further increasing their contribution to N-loss.

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“…Pyrosequencing studies of the bacterial diversity in the tidal flats of the North Sea show that only 2-3% of the unique bacterial constituents are present in all three habitats (Gobet et al 2012). Furthermore, total abundance of sand-associated bacteria is much greater than pore water bacteria, which has been estimated as having <0.2% of the total cell abundance found in sands (Gobet et al 2012; Rusch et al 2003). This partitioning between microbial communities on sand and in pore water can primarily be explained by the formation of biofilm on sand grains, as well as attachment to fine particulate matter.…”

Section: Fate Ecology and Population Biology/geneticsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbes in beach sands: integrating environment, ecology and public health

Whitman

Harwood

Edge

et al. 2014

Rev Environ Sci Biotechnol

138

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SUMMARY Beach sand is a habitat that supports many microbes, including viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa (micropsammon). The apparently inhospitable conditions of beach sand environments belie the thriving communities found there. Physical factors, such as water availability and protection from insolation; biological factors, such as competition, predation, and biofilm formation; and nutrient availability all contribute to the characteristics of the micropsammon. Sand microbial communities include autochthonous species/phylotypes indigenous to the environment. Allochthonous microbes, including fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) and waterborne pathogens, are deposited via waves, runoff, air, or animals. The fate of these microbes ranges from death, to transient persistence and/or replication, to establishment of thriving populations (naturalization) and integration in the autochthonous community. Transport of the micropsammon within the habitat occurs both horizontally across the beach, and vertically from the sand surface and ground water table, as well as at various scales including interstitial flow within sand pores, sediment transport for particle-associated microbes, and the large-scale processes of wave action and terrestrial runoff. The concept of beach sand as a microbial habitat and reservoir of FIB and pathogens has begun to influence our thinking about human health effects associated with sand exposure and recreational water use. A variety of pathogens have been reported from beach sands, and recent epidemiology studies have found some evidence of health risks associated with sand exposure. Persistent or replicating populations of FIB and enteric pathogens have consequences for watershed/beach management strategies and regulatory standards for safe beaches. This review summarizes our understanding of the community structure, ecology, fate, transport, and public health implications of microbes in beach sand. It concludes with recommendations for future work in this vastly under-studied area.

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Activity and distribution of bacterial populations in Middle Atlantic Bight shelf sands

Cited by 100 publications

References 73 publications

Diversity and Transport of Microorganisms in Intertidal Sands of the California Coast

Diversity and Transport of Microorganisms in Intertidal Sands of the California Coast

The Fate of Nitrate in Intertidal Permeable Sediments

Microbes in beach sands: integrating environment, ecology and public health

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