Distinct Communities of Free-Living and Copepod-Associated
Microorganisms along a Salinity Gradient in Godthabsfjord, West
Greenland
- Microorganisms such as Bacteria and Archaea play important roles in the Arctic food web and biogeochemical cycles. Nevertheless, knowledge of microbial community composition in Greenland waters is scarce, and information on microorganisms associated with Arctic zooplankton species is virtually non-existent. We compared free-living microbial communities with those associated with two key copepod species (Calanus finmarchicus and Metridia longa) along a salinity gradient from the deep waters beyond Fyllas Banke to the inner part of Godthabsfjord, West Greenland, in summer 2008. Using genetic fingerprinting we found that free-living Bacteria (in particular Alphaproteobacteria) and Archaea varied with environmental factors and formed different communities along the fjord. Microbial communities associated with the two copepod species were clearly different from those in the ambient water. Surprisingly, Archaea could not be detected on the copepods. Our results show that zooplankton form "microbial islands" in the Arctic pelagic realm withMicroorganisms such as Bacteria and Archaea play important roles in the Arctic food web and biogeochemical cycles. Nevertheless, knowledge of microbial community composition in Greenland waters is scarce, and information on microorganisms associated with Arctic zooplankton species is virtually non-existent. We compared free-living microbial communities with those associated with two key copepod species (Calanus finmarchicus and Metridia longa) along a salinity gradient from the deep waters beyond Fyllas Banke to the inner part of Godthabsfjord, West Greenland, in summer 2008. Using genetic fingerprinting we found that free-living Bacteria (in particular Alphaproteobacteria) and Archaea varied with environmental factors and formed different communities along the fjord. Microbial communities associated with the two copepod species were clearly different from those in the ambient water. Surprisingly, Archaea could not be detected on the copepods. Our results show that zooplankton form "microbial islands" in the Arctic pelagic realm with a distinctive community composition and presumably functionality different from the free-living Bacteria. Changes in intensity and timing of meltwater runoff due to global warming are expected to affect these microbial assemblages differently, with potentially significant ramifications for Arctic food webs and biogeochemistry.…
MetadatenAuthor details: | Claudia Dziallas, Hans-Peter GrossartORCiDGND, Kam W. TangORCiD, Torkel Gissel Nielsen |
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DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1657/1938-4246.45.4.471 |
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ISSN: | 1523-0430 |
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ISSN: | 1938-4246 |
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Title of parent work (English): | ARCTIC ANTARCTIC AND ALPINE RESEARCH |
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Publisher: | INST ARCTIC ALPINE RES |
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Place of publishing: | BOULDER |
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Publication type: | Article |
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Language: | English |
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Year of first publication: | 2013 |
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Publication year: | 2013 |
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Release date: | 2017/03/26 |
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Volume: | 45 |
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Issue: | 4 |
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Number of pages: | 10 |
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First page: | 471 |
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Last Page: | 480 |
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Funding institution: | Commission for Scientific Research in Greenland (ECOGREEN); Danish
Natural Sciences Research Council; Greenland Climate Research Center
[6505]; German Science foundation [DFG GR1540/12-2, DFG GR1540/20-1];
Humboldt Fellowship for Experienced Researchers |
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