Microbiome Dynamics in a Large Artificial Seawater Aquarium.

ABSTRACT: Artificial habitats for animals have high commercial and societal value. Microbial communities (microbiomes) in such habitats may play ecological roles similar to those in nature. However, this hypothesis remains largely untested. Georgia Aquarium's Ocean Voyager (OV) exhibit is a closed-system aquatic habitat that mimics the oligotrophic open ocean and houses thousands of large marine animals, including fish, sea turtles, and whale sharks. We present a 14-month time series characterizing the OV water column microbiome. The composition and stability of the microbiome differed from those of natural marine environments with similar chemical features. The composition shifted dramatically over the span of 2 weeks and was characterized by bloom events featuring members of two heterotroph

SUBMITTER: Patin NV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5930379 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature