Salinity Impacts the Functional mcrA and dsrA Gene Abundances in Everglades Marshes

• NCJ Number: 307447
• Journal: Microorganisms Volume: 11 Issue: 5 Special Issue: Soil Microbial Diversity and Its Ecological Functions Dated: APR 2023 Pages: 1180
• Author(s): Deidra Jordan; John S. Kominoski; Shelby Servais; DeEtta Mills
• Date Published: April 2023
• Grant Number(s): DJO-NIJ-21-RO-0002; 2014-DNR-4918
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)

Annotation

This study of the effect of salinity on mcrA and dsrA gene abundance in Everglade Marshes demonstrates the effect of changes in soil qualities on communities both before and after a disturbance such as saltwater intrusion.

Abstract

This study of the effect of salinity on mcrA and dsrA gene abundance in Everglade Marshes, utilizing next generation sequencing (NGS) to construct a baseline soil microbial community, found that saltwater dosing increased sulfite reduction in freshwater peat soils and decreased methylotrophy in brackish peat soils. These findings add to the understanding of microbiomes by demonstrating how changes in soil qualities impact communities both before and after a disturbance such as saltwater intrusion. Coastal wetlands, such as the Everglades, are increasingly being exposed to stressors that have the potential to modify their existing ecological processes because of global climate change. Their soil microbiomes include a population of organisms important for biogeochemical cycling, but continual stresses can disturb the community’s composition, causing functional changes. The Everglades feature wetlands with varied salinity levels, implying that they contain microbial communities with a variety of salt tolerances and microbial functions. Therefore, tracking the effects of stresses on these populations in freshwater and brackish marshes is critical. The study addressed this by utilizing next generation sequencing (NGS) to construct a baseline soil microbial community. The carbon and sulfur cycles were studied by sequencing a microbial functional gene involved in each process, the mcrA and dsrA functional genes, respectively. Saline was introduced over two years to observe the taxonomic alterations that occurred after a long-term disturbance such as seawater intrusion. (Published Abstract Provided)