Disturbance frequency directs microbial community succession in marine biofilms exposed to shear.

Abstract

Disturbances are major drivers of community succession in many microbial systems; however, relatively little is known about marine biofilm community succession, especially under antifouling disturbance. Antifouling technologies exert strong local disturbances on marine biofilms, and resulting biomass losses can be accompanied by shifts in biofilm community composition and succession. We address this gap in knowledge by bridging microbial ecology with antifouling technology development. We show that disturbance by shear can strongly alter marine biofilm community succession, acting as a selective filter influenced by frequency of exposure. Examining marine biofilm succession patterns with and without shear revealed stable associations between key prokaryotic and eukaryotic taxa, highlighting the importance of cross-domain assessment in future marine biofilm research. Describing how compounded top-down and bottom-up disturbances shape the succession of marine biofilms is valuable for understanding the assembly and stability of these complex microbial communities and predicting species invasiveness.