Abstract
The Vibrionaceae (Vibrio) are a ubiquitous group of metabolically flexible marine bacteria that play important roles in biogeochemical cycling in the ocean. Despite this versatility, little is known about Vibrio diversity and abundances in upwelling regions. The seasonal dynamics of Vibrio populations was examined by analysis of 16S rRNA genes in Monterey Bay (MB), California from April 2006–April 2008 at two long term monitoring stations, C1 and M2. Vibrio phylotypes within MB were diverse, with subpopulations clustering with several different cultured representatives including Allivibrio spp., Vibrio penaecida, and Vibrio splendidus as well as with many unidentified marine environmental bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences. Total Vibrio population abundances, as well as abundances of a Vibrio sp. subpopulation (MBAY Vib7) and an Allivibrio sp. subpopulation (MBAY Vib4) were examined in the context of environmental parameters from mooring station and CTD cast data. Total Vibrio populations showed some seasonal variability but greater variability was observed within the two subpopulations. MBAY Vib4 was negatively associated with MB upwelling indices and positively correlated with oceanic season conditions, when upwelling winds relax and warmer surface waters are present in MB. MBAY Vib7 was also negatively associated with upwelling indices and represented a deeper Vibrio sp. population. Correlation patterns suggest that larger oceanographic conditions affect the dynamics of the populations in MB, rather than specific environmental factors. This study is the first to target and describe the diversity and dynamics of these natural populations in MB and demonstrates that these populations shift seasonally within the region.
Highlights
The Vibrionaceae (Vibrio) are a group of physiologically-flexible marine bacteria that are ubiquitous in ocean waters and have been identified in most marine ecosystems (Wietz et al, 2010)
SAMPLE COLLECTION Seawater samples were collected from MB at stations C1 (36.797 N; 121.847 W; Figure 1) and M2 (36.697 N; 122.378 W; Figure 1) during cruises of the MB Time Series project undertaken by the Biological Oceanography Group (BOG) at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI)
The daily Upwelling Index was analyzed against surface conditions at M2 (Table 3A)
Summary
The Vibrionaceae (Vibrio) are a group of physiologically-flexible marine bacteria that are ubiquitous in ocean waters and have been identified in most marine ecosystems (Wietz et al, 2010). Vibrio have the distinctive ability to break down and utilize many carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus substrates (McDougald and Kjelleberg, 2006; Thompson and Polz, 2006; Dryselius et al, 2008; Lai et al, 2009; Salter et al, 2009) and their production of the external enzymes chitinase and laminarinase provide access to abundant nutrients that are unavailable to other organisms (Svitil et al, 1997; Riemann et al, 2000; Ansede et al, 2001; Alderkamp et al, 2007; Murray et al, 2007) In addition to their diverse metabolic capabilities, Vibrio species have developed adaptive responses to starvation and environmental stress which include conversion to an ultramicrobacterial morphology (
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