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Bacterial composition reflects fine-scale salinity changes while phylogenetic diversity exhibits a strong salt divide

View ORCID ProfileAriane L. Peralta, View ORCID ProfileMario E. Muscarella, Alexandra Stucy, Jo A. Werba, Michael W. McCoy
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.09.14.460410
Ariane L. Peralta
1Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Howell Science Complex, Greenville, NC 27858, USA
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  • For correspondence: peraltaa@ecu.edu
Mario E. Muscarella
2Department of Biology and Wildlife, Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, USA
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Alexandra Stucy
1Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Howell Science Complex, Greenville, NC 27858, USA
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Jo A. Werba
1Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Howell Science Complex, Greenville, NC 27858, USA
3Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, L8S 4K1
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Michael W. McCoy
1Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Howell Science Complex, Greenville, NC 27858, USA
4Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University, Fort Pierce, FL, 34946, USA
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ABSTRACT

Climate change induced salinization events are predicted to intensify and lead to increased salt stress in freshwater aquatic ecosystems. As a consequence, formerly distinct abiotic conditions and associated biotic communities merge, and the emergence, loss, and persistence of microbial taxa modify the types and rates of ecosystem processes. This study examined how bacterial taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity and ecosystem function respond to acute salinization events where freshwater and estuarine communities and environments coalesce. We hypothesize that if the salinity change outpaces microbial adaptation or saline microbial populations are not yet established in formerly freshwater conditions, then we predict diminished carbon cycling rates, decreased microbial diversity, and altered the composition of microbial communities compared to historically freshwater communities. We used an experimental mesocosm approach to determine how salinity and the merging of distinct communities influenced resultant bacterial community structure and function. Each mesocosm represented different salinities (0, 5, 9, 13 psu). Two dispersal treatments, representing aquatic communities sourced from brackish 13 psu ponds and a mix of 13 psu and freshwater ponds, were added to all salinity levels and replicated four times. Results revealed that salinity, but not dispersal, decreased bacterial taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity. Carbon mineralization rates were highest in freshwater conditions and associated with low relative abundance indicator taxa. Acute salinity changes, such as localized flooding due to storm surge, will more negatively affect freshwater aquatic communities compared to chronic exposure to salinization where the communities have had time to adapt or turnover resulting in recovered biogeochemical functions.

IMPORTANCE STATEMENT Climate change induced salinization results in the mixing of formerly distinct environmental conditions and aquatic communities. This study examined the consequence of short-term, acute salinity stress on aquatic bacterial taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity and ecosystem function using an experimental approach. Results revealed that salinity, but not the source of aquatic communities, decreased bacterial taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity. Carbon mineralization rates, which represented ecosystem function, were highest in freshwater conditions and also associated with low relative abundance indicator bacterial taxa. Taken together, acute salinity changes will more negatively affect freshwater aquatic communities compared to chronic exposure to salinization where the communities have had time to adapt or turnover resulting in recovered biogeochemical functions.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Footnotes

  • Supplemental files updated

  • https://github.com/PeraltaLab/CSI_Dispersal

Copyright 
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
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Posted September 17, 2021.
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Bacterial composition reflects fine-scale salinity changes while phylogenetic diversity exhibits a strong salt divide
Ariane L. Peralta, Mario E. Muscarella, Alexandra Stucy, Jo A. Werba, Michael W. McCoy
bioRxiv 2021.09.14.460410; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.09.14.460410
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Bacterial composition reflects fine-scale salinity changes while phylogenetic diversity exhibits a strong salt divide
Ariane L. Peralta, Mario E. Muscarella, Alexandra Stucy, Jo A. Werba, Michael W. McCoy
bioRxiv 2021.09.14.460410; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.09.14.460410

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