Anaerobic microbiota: spatial-temporal changes in the sediment of a tropical coastal lagoon with ephemeral inlet in the Gulf of Mexico

Revista de biología tropical
María del Rocío Torres-AlvaradoGloria Trejo-Aguilar

Abstract

Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and methanogenic archaea (MA) share common niches in coastal sediments during the terminal phases of the anaerobic mineralization of organic matter. The purpose of this study was to analyze the spatial - temporal variation of SRB and MA in the sediments of a tropical coastal lagoon with ephemeral inlet (La Mancha, Veracruz, Gulf of Mexico) and its relationship with environmental changes. A total of 24 sediment samples were collected during the dry (April, May), rainy (July, September) and Northern (November, February) seasons in the period 2013-2014. Microbiological analyses included the quantification of the viable SRB and MA with different substrates, as well as mineralization experiments to determine the effect of sulfate on acetate oxidation. The analyzed environmental variables in the sediments included: temperature, pH, Eh, salinity, sulfates, H2S, volatile solids, carbohydrates, and granulometric characteristics. Major changes occurred between the dry and rainy seasons. During the dry season, sulfate-reducing abundance was significantly greater with lactate (8.3x105 - 1.2x107 cells / g) and propionate (1.8x105 - 6.6x106 cells / g) as substrates, while the MA that use methanol were dominant...Continue Reading

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