Journal
MARINE ECOLOGY-AN EVOLUTIONARY PERSPECTIVE
Volume 38, Issue 2, Pages -Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/maec.12411
Keywords
16S rRNA gene-based barcoded pyrosequencing; depth; mudflats; Ria de Aveiro; saltmarsh; seagrass
Categories
Funding
- European Funds through COMPETE [FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-008657]
- National Funds through the Portuguese Science Foundation (FCT) within project LTER-RAVE [LTER/BIA-BEC/0063/2009, BI/UI88/5449/2013, SFRH/BPD/92366/2013, SFRH/BPD/101919/2014]
- European Social Fund and national funds MCTES
- University of Aveiro and FCT/MEC through CESAM RU [UID/AMB/50017]
- FEDER [PT2020]
- Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia [LTER/BIA-BEC/0063/2009] Funding Source: FCT
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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, 10cm) 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.
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