Effects of Salinity on Microbialite‐Associated Production in Great Salt Lake, Utah

Melody R Lindsay,Rachel E Johnston,Bonnie K Baxter,Eric S Boyd

doi:10.1002/bes2.1513

Abstract

Organosedimentary structures (microbialites) cover ~20% of the south arm of the hypersaline Great Salt Lake (GSL). Photosynthetic microbial mats associated with microbialites support secondary production in GSL, including that of brine shrimp (Artemia). However, the effects of predicted increases in lake salinity on the primary and secondary production of microbialites and Artemia, respectively, are not known. Here, we show that salinities >20% significantly influenced microbialite microbial community composition, abundance, and productivity and Artemia survivability. Results indicate that increased salinity affects primary and secondary production, which could have negative effects on higher ecological compartments dependent on these species, including migratory birds. Photo credit: Melody Lindsay. Photo credit: Melody Lindsay. Photo credit: Melody Lindsay. Photo credit: Melody Lindsay. These photographs illustrate the article “Effects of salinity on microbialite-associated production in Great Salt Lake, Utah” by Melody R. Lindsay, Rachel E. Johnston, Bonnie K. Baxter, and Eric S. Boyd published in Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2611

Highlights

Primary producers form the base of food webs and play a central role in dictating energy flow to secondary consumers (Lindeman 1942)
Following an additional 3 weeks’ incubation, the abundance of 16S rRNA genes in microcosms incubated at 10% salinity increased further to 537% of gene abundances at week 0, whereas abundances at 8% salinity decreased further from levels observed at the 4-week incubation point
Data presented here indicate that short-term increases in salinity to levels of 20% or greater negatively impact the abundance of periphyton microbialite mat communities and alter their composition

Summary

Introduction

Primary producers form the base of food webs and play a central role in dictating energy flow to secondary consumers (Lindeman 1942). The overall health and stability of an ecosystem is often tied to the activity and stability of primary producers (Thompson et al 2012). Any change to the physical, chemical, and/or biological attributes that define the habitat of primary producers is likely to influence the functioning of the entire ecosystem in what has been referred to as a trophic cascade (Paine 1980). This term is often reserved for describing the effects of predators and their.

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