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Sediment depth and habitat as predictors of the diversity and composition of sediment bacterial communities in an inter‐tidal estuarine environment
Author(s) -
Cleary Daniel F. R.,
Coelho Francisco J. R. C.,
Oliveira Vanessa,
Gomes Newton C. M.,
Polónia Ana R. M.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
marine ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.668
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1439-0485
pISSN - 0173-9565
DOI - 10.1111/maec.12411
Subject(s) - seagrass , habitat , ecology , sediment , salt marsh , spartina alterniflora , estuary , zostera marina , ecosystem , biology , ecosystem engineer , intertidal zone , abundance (ecology) , environmental science , marsh , wetland , paleontology
Saltmarshes, seagrass meadows and mudflats are key habitats in estuarine ecosystems. Despite being involved in key ecological processes, the influence of different estuarine habitats on sediment bacterial communities remains understudied. Few studies have analysed and compared the bacterial communities of more than one estuarine habitat at different depths. Here, we investigated to what extent different habitats (mudflats; mono‐specific plots of seagrass [ Zostera noltei ] and two saltmarsh plants [ Juncus maritimus and Spartina maritima ]) and sampling depth (0, 5, 10 cm) influence variation in sediment bacterial composition. Our results showed significant differences in the abundance of selected higher taxa amongst habitats and depths. Surface sediment was characterized by bacteria assigned to the Acidimicrobiia, Flavobacteriia, Thiotrichales, Alteromonadales and Rhodobacterales, whereas in deeper sediment Deltaproteobacteria and Anaerolineae were dominant. Juncus sediment, in turn, presented the most distinct bacterial community, with Myxococcales abundant in this habitat. Sampling depth and habitat proved significant predictors of variation in sediment bacterial composition. The compositional dissimilarities amongst habitats and depths suggest functional divergence and complementarity, thus enhancing ecosystem functioning and health. Given the compositionally distinct communities found in different habitats and depths, our study corroborates the importance of conserving a diverse array of estuarine habitats.