Spatial and Temporal Microbial Patterns in a Tropical Macrotidal Estuary Subject to Urbanization.

ABSTRACT: Darwin Harbour in northern Australia is an estuary in the wet-dry tropics subject to increasing urbanization with localized water quality degradation due to increased nutrient loads from urban runoff and treated sewage effluent. Tropical estuaries are poorly studied compared to temperate systems and little is known about the microbial community-level response to nutrients. We aimed to examine the spatial and temporal patterns of the bacterial community and its association with abiotic factors. Since Darwin Harbour is macrotidal with strong seasonal patterns and mixing, we sought to determine if a human impact signal was discernible in the microbiota despite the strong hydrodynamic forces. Adopting a single impact-double reference design, we investigated the bacterial community using next-g

SUBMITTER: Kaestli M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5507994 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature