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Network and machine learning analyses of estuarine microbial communities along a freshwater-marine mixed gradient

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-21, 16:35 authored by Ricardo Rocha Pavan Da SilvaRicardo Rocha Pavan Da Silva, Camille WhiteCamille White, John BowmanJohn Bowman, Bodrossy, L, Bissett, A, Ruth Eriksen, Donald RossDonald Ross
Microbial communities are important elements in the marine environment, contributing to nutrient cycling and biogeochemical processes. Estuaries comprise environments exhibiting characteristics from freshwater to marine, leading to distinct microbial communities across this environmental gradient. Here, we examine the spatial dynamics of microbial communities in Macquarie Harbour, an estuarine system on the West coast of Tasmania, Australia. Water was sampled along the estuary to explore the structure and composition of the microbial communities using 16S/18S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Multivariate analyses showed environmental variables and community compositions varying along a longitudinal (river to adjacent ocean) gradient at the surface. In the Harbour, differences in the microbial community were observed between surface (0–1 m) and intermediate depths (4.5–11 m depth). The results of differential abundance, network and Partial Least Square analyses suggest that Macquarie Harbour is a mixing zone, where the distributions of archaeal, bacterial and eukaryotic communities are influenced by oceanic and riverine inputs. These results provide critical insights into the Macquarie Harbour environment and the importance of understanding the role of microbial communities for similar systems elsewhere.

History

Publication title

Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science

Issue

277

Article number

108026

Number

108026

Pagination

1-14

ISSN

0272-7714

Department/School

Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies

Publisher

Academic Press Ltd Elsevier Science Ltd

Place of publication

24-28 Oval Rd, London, England, Nw1 7Dx

Rights statement

© 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Aquaculture fin fish (excl. tuna); Expanding knowledge in the environmental sciences

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