Department of Biology, Marine Biology Lab, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biology, Protistology and Aquatic Ecology Research Group, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
Department of Biology, Protistology and Aquatic Ecology Research Group, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
Mar Environ Res. 2018 Sep;140:78-89. doi: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.06.005. Epub 2018 Jun 5.
While the effects of abiotic parameters on microbial tidal biofilms are relatively well-documented, the effects of grazing and/or bioturbation by meiofauna are poorly understood. We investigated the impact of a natural nematode assemblage on the biomass and microbial community structure of a multispecies diatom biofilm. Nematodes stimulated diatom biomass accumulation of the biofilm and caused a shift in diatom community structure. Higher diatom biomass accumulation in the presence of nematodes could be the result of increased diatom biomass production through nutrient regeneration resulting from grazing or bioturbation, and/or through shifts in interspecific interactions between diatoms (e.g. competition) through selective grazing. Alternatively, lower biomass in the controls may be due to higher secretion of diatom production in the form of bound extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Our observations underscore that meiobenthos, and especially nematodes, are important for the structure and production of tidal biofilms.
虽然非生物参数对微生物潮汐生物膜的影响已经得到了相对充分的研究，但摄食和/或小型底栖动物的生物搅动对其的影响仍知之甚少。本研究调查了自然线虫群落对多物种硅藻生物膜生物量和微生物群落结构的影响。线虫刺激生物膜中硅藻的生物量积累，并导致硅藻群落结构发生转变。在有线虫存在的情况下，硅藻生物量的增加可能是由于摄食或生物搅动导致营养物质再生，从而增加了硅藻的生物量，也可能是由于选择性摄食导致硅藻之间的种间相互作用（如竞争）发生转变。或者，对照中较低的生物量可能是由于硅藻以结合型胞外聚合物物质（EPS）的形式分泌更多的产物。我们的观察结果强调了小型底栖动物，特别是线虫，对潮汐生物膜的结构和生产力非常重要。
