Identifying homogeneity of multivariate dispersions among biofilm-dwelling microbial communities in colonization surveys for marine bioassessment

Abstract

To determine the homogeneity of multivariate dispersion in biofilm-dwelling microbial communities within colonization process for bioassessment, a 1-month baseline survey was carried out, using an artificial substratum, in coastal waters of the Yellow Sea, northern China. The homogeneity of the samples represented a creasing trend within the colonization process at both depths, but showed no significant difference in dispersions among the communities with ages of 10 days or more at a depth of 1m. Furthermore, the dispersion coefficients showed a similar decreasing trend with the β-diversity measures until 10 days and leveled off within the late period at a depth of 1m. These results suggest that the colonization time period of 10 days or more at a depth of 1m may be a reliable sampling strategy for bioassessment, and that the dispersion measure of a mature community might be considered as a useful ecological indicator in monitoring programs and community research.