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Combining DAPI and SYBR Green II for the Enumeration of Total Bacterial Numbers in Aquatic Sediments
Author(s) -
Griebler Christian,
Mindl Birgit,
Slezak Doris
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
international review of hydrobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.524
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1522-2632
pISSN - 1434-2944
DOI - 10.1002/1522-2632(200107)86:4/5<453::aid-iroh453>3.0.co;2-l
Subject(s) - sediment , silt , river ecosystem , enumeration , bacteria , environmental chemistry , microorganism , aquatic ecosystem , contamination , environmental science , cadmium , biology , ecology , chemistry , botany , habitat , mathematics , paleontology , genetics , organic chemistry , combinatorics
An improved assessment for the enumeration of aquatic sediment bacteria is introduced. Sediment samples were stained with DAPI and counterstained with SYBR Green II. This, for the first time, allows the researcher to clearly distinguish between bacteria and nonspecifically stained bacteria‐like particles. A strong linear correlation was observed between total number of attached bacteria and sediment grain size in sandy fractions of lotic, lentic and subsurface environments. This trend did not continue into the silt and clay fraction. Ratios of attached to free‐living bacteria in our studies spanned three orders of magnitude and varied with sediment type. Sediment habitats which were exposed to anthropogenic disturbance and/or contamination always had lower biofilm‐porewater ratios than obviously undisturbed sites. Biofilm‐porewater ratios are therefore suggested as valuable indicators for the characterization of sediment systems.