A High-Resolution Time Series Reveals Distinct Seasonal Patterns of Planktonic Fungi at a Temperate Coastal Ocean Site (Beaufort, North Carolina, USA).

ABSTRACT: There is a growing awareness of the ecological and biogeochemical importance of fungi in coastal marine systems. While highly diverse fungi have been discovered in these marine systems, still, little is known about their seasonality and associated drivers in coastal waters. Here, we examined fungal communities over 3 years of weekly sampling at a dynamic, temperate coastal site (Pivers Island Coastal Observatory [PICO], Beaufort, NC, USA). Fungal 18S rRNA gene abundance, operational taxonomic unit (OTU) richness, and Shannon's diversity index values exhibited prominent seasonality. Fungal 18S rRNA gene copies peaked in abundance during the summer and fall, with positive correlations with chlorophyll a, SiO4, and oxygen saturation. Diversity (measured using internal transcribed spacer [ITS]

SUBMITTER: Duan Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6193375 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature