Proximity To Built Structures On the Seabed Promotes Biofilm Development and Diversity

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-25-2023

School

Ocean Science and Engineering

Abstract

The rapidly expanding built environment in the northern Gulf of Mexico includes thousands of human built structures (e.g. platforms, shipwrecks) on the seabed. Primary-colonizing microbial biofilms transform structures into artificial reefs capable of supporting biodiversity, yet little is known about formation and recruitment of biofilms. Short-term seafloor experiments containing steel surfaces were placed near six structures, including historic shipwrecks and modern decommissioned energy platforms. Biofilms were analyzed for changes in phylogenetic composition, richness, and diversity relative to proximity to the structures. The biofilm core microbiome was primarily composed of iron-oxidizing Mariprofundus, sulfur-oxidizing Sulfurimonas, and biofilm-forming Rhodobacteraceae. Alpha diversity and richness significantly declined as a function of distance from structures. This study explores how built structures influence marine biofilms and contributes knowledge on how anthropogenic activity impacts microbiomes on the seabed.

Publication Title

Biofouling

Volume

39

Issue

7

First Page

706

Last Page

718

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