Microbial Observatories: Eukaryotic Microbial Communities of the Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

A grant has been awarded to Drs. Peter Lavrentyev and Robert Duff of the University ofAkron to examine taxonomic composition of planktonic protists in relation to their key functionsat the NOAA Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve (OWC NERR). Sampleswill be collected from four stations along the stream-Lake Erie transect at monthly intervals inconjunction with the ongoing long-term monitoring. Microbial community structure,distribution, and dynamics will be examined under different hydrologic and climatic conditionsusing molecular, digital video, flow-cytometry, and microscopic methods. This study willgenerate a library of protistan images and ribosomal DNA sequences which will contribute noveltaxonomic and ecological data to the scientific community and publicly accessible databases.The taxonomic survey will be supplemented by field experiments, which will examine the effectof differences in microbial community composition on two functional aspects of the community:growth and grazing.Protists (unicellular eukaryotic microorganisms) play an important role in aquatic ecosystemsby regulating bacterial and primary production and regenerating the bulk of inorganic nutrientsbut the relationship between their diversity and functions remains poorly understood. This studywill increase our knowledge of microbial life in critical estuarine/coastal wetland environmentsand improve our ability to predict complex and dynamic microbial processes in the Great Lakesand the coastal ocean. On a yet broader scale, the study will provide new insights about therelationship between biodiversity and function in natural communities. Finally, this study willhave an impact on the infrastructure of education within the PIs institutions and beyond.Students at UA and FIU involved in the project will experience a wide range of professionalactivities and will be involved in all aspects of the research enterprise. In addition, this projectwill provide information for the OWC NERR visitor center exhibit and thus contribute to thegeneral public understanding of the importance of preserving biodiversity and estuarine/wetlandenvironments. The results of this study will be invaluable in informing decisions on conservationand environmental management these important habitats that have become increasing threatened.