Open AccessPatterns of marine bacterioplankton biodiversity in the surface waters of the S cotia A rc, S outhern O cean
Author(s) -
Jamieson Rachel E.,
Rogers Alex D.,
Billett David S. M.,
Smale Dan A.,
Pearce David A.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
fems microbiology ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.377
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1574-6941
pISSN - 0168-6496
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6941.2012.01313.x
Subject(s) - bacterioplankton , gammaproteobacteria , biology , ecology , plankton , oceanography , phytoplankton , nutrient , 16s ribosomal rna , bacteria , genetics , geology
Spatial patchiness in marine surface bacterioplankton populations was investigated in the S outhern O cean, where the A ntarctic C ircumpolar C urrent meets the islands of the S cotia A rc and is subjected to terrestrial input, upwelling of nutrients and seasonal phytoplankton blooms. Total bacterioplankton population density, group‐specific taxonomic distribution and six of eight dominant members of the bacterioplankton community were found to be consistent across 18 nearshore sites at eight locations around the S cotia A rc. Results from seven independent 16S rRNA gene clone libraries (1223 sequences in total) and fluorescent in situ hybridization suggested that microbial assemblages were predominantly homogeneous between S cotia A rc sites, where the Alphaproteobacteria , Gammaproteobacteria and the C ytophaga– F lavobacterium– B acteroidetes cluster were the dominant bacterial groups. Of the 1223 useable sequences generated, 1087 (89%) shared ≥ 97% similarity with marine microorganisms and 331 (27%) matched published sequences previously detected in permanently cold A rctic and A ntarctic marine environments. Taken together, results suggest that the dominant bacterioplankton groups are consistent between locations, but significant differences may be detected across the rare biodiversity.