Bacterial diversity analysis of coastal superficial seawaters near aquaculture facilities, using MALDI-TOF approach and Ribopeaks database

Abstract

The upcoming environmental regulations when applied to the aquaculture sector will further require that the industry adopt routine control methodologies and results registration, to support that its activity is respecting the adjacent environment and to support its sustainability claims.This work aimed to determine the capability of microbial analysis with the MALDI-TOF approach and Ribopeaks database, to establish the microbial community diversity of coastal superficial seawater near aquaculture facilities and the possible influence of anthropogenic pressure.The main conclusions are the capability of the Ribopeaks database to be used for the analysis of environmental bacterial samples, since it was able to identify a much higher diversity of marine bacteria when compared with the MBT Compass database. The MALDI-TOF-Ribopeaks approach has a clear potential for fast and cheaper routine analysis of the seawater microbial community, which is becoming more relevant in the progress of quality control procedures in the aquaculture industry. The present study also reveals the need for more studies on the interactions between anthropogenic influence in coastal waters and the effect it might have on aquaculture sustainable management.