Effects of temperature and nutrients on changes in genetic diversity of bacterioplankton communities in a semi-closed bay, South Korea: 1. Relationships between phytoplankton and bacterioplankton communities

Abstract

Coastal bacterioplankton communities appear to be finely structured in discrete phylogenetic clusters, revealing the co-existence of several hundred closely related bacterioplankton populations (Acinas et al., 2004). The study of temporal changes in bacterioplankton communities in relation to environmental parameters is a promising area for a research in the field of bacterioplankton ecology as it provides insights into the functional traits of individual populations and how populations are controlled by environmental characteristics, as well as into how populations are interlinked (Adersson et al., 2010). Recent efforts to model, formalise and explain temporal changes in bacterioplankton communities have built on an existing body of knowledge, wherein pronounced seasonal changes in certain components of bacterioplankton communities have been described in response to environmental change (Pinhassi and Hagstr&ouml m, 2000 Schauer et al., 2003). For example, phytoplankton blooms are known to cause pronounced changes in bacterioplankton communities and populations in marine waters (Pinhassi et al., 2004). In addition, experimental studies have recently demonstrated that microbial diversity resulting from niche partitioning leads to more efficient nutrient uptake, which implies that biodiversity may influence water quality and act as a buffer against the impact of pollution (Cardinale, 2011 Gravel et al., 2011).hanges in bacterioplankton communities in relation to environmental parameters is a promising area for a research in the field of bacterioplankton ecology as it provides insights into the functional traits of individual populations and how populations are controlled by environmental characteristics, as well as into how populations are interlinked (Adersson et al., 2010). Recent efforts to model, formalise and explain temporal changes in bacterioplankton communities have built on an existing body of knowledge, wherein pronounced seasonal changes in certain components of bacterioplankton communities have been described in response to environmental change (Pinhassi and Hagstr&ouml m, 2000 Schauer et al., 2003). For example, phytoplankton blooms are known to cause pronounced changes in bacterioplankton communities and populations in marine waters (Pinhassi et al., 2004). In addition, experimental studies have recently demonstrated that microbial diversity resulting from niche partitioning leads to more efficient nutrient uptake, which implies that biodiversity may influence water quality and act as a buffer against the impact of pollution (Cardinale, 2011 Gravel et al., 2011).