HR: 1330h
AN: NB33C-07    [Abstracts]
TI: The Diverse Bacterial Community Associated with Fine Particulate Organic Matter in Wetland Sediments
AU: * Jackson, C R
EM: cjackson@selu.edu
AF: Southeastern Louisiana University, Dept. Biological Sciences, SLU 10736, Hammond, LA 70402 United States
AU: Harrison, K G
EM: W0222792@selu.edu
AF: Southeastern Louisiana University, Dept. Biological Sciences, SLU 10736, Hammond, LA 70402 United States
AB: Fine particulate organic matter (FPOM) is one of the dominant forms of organic material in aquatic systems, although few studies have characterized the microbial community associated with this material, particularly in wetlands. We used molecular techniques to examine the bacterial community associated with two sizes of FPOM collected from a Louisiana coastal wetland. Sediment was sieved into two size ranges: 0.25-1 mm (primary FPOM), and 0.038-0.25 mm (secondary FPOM). DNA was extracted from the microbial community associated with each size range, and the 16S rRNA genes amplified using conserved bacterial-specific primers. The amplified 16S rRNA genes were cloned and sequenced to determine the identity and frequency of each sequence type. The majority of sequences obtained were unique, suggesting that both primary and secondary FPOM harbored diverse bacterial communities. Most of the 16S rRNA sequences showed low similarity to known bacteria, suggesting the presence of many undescribed bacterial populations. There was little similarity in the gene sequences obtained from each size range suggesting significant differences in bacterial community composition with particle size. These findings suggest that wetland FPOM contains diverse bacterial communities and that differences in particle size result in different bacterial communities associated with this FPOM.
DE: 0400 Biogeosciences
DE: 1890 Wetlands
SC: North American Benthological Society [NB]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly