2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH
5/24/2021 | 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM | THE EFFECT OF FRESHWATER MUSSELS ON SEDIMENT MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES UNDER DIFFERENT NUTRIENT REGIMES | Virtual Platform
THE EFFECT OF FRESHWATER MUSSELS ON SEDIMENT MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES UNDER DIFFERENT NUTRIENT REGIMES
Freshwater mussels are sedentary, burrowing filter feeders. Aggregates of mussels (mussel beds) have significant impacts on nutrient cycling in rivers through biofiltration and excretion and biodeposition of wastes. Mussels burrow at the sediment oxic-anoxic interface and alter the distribution of microbial taxa associated with nitrogen cycling, including the ecologically relevant nitrogen transformation, ANAMMOX. Mussels species also have different thermal and behavioral traits that affect their impact on nutrient cycling. Actinonaias ligamentina is an active, thermally sensitive species with stronger effects on nutrient cycling than Amblema plicata, a more sedentary, thermally tolerant species. We hypothesized that these trait differences between species would impact the sediment microbial community’s structure and function, depending on background nutrient availability. To test this, we conducted a mesocosm experiment with treatments of each species where we manipulated N and P concentrations and tracked changes in sediment bacterial communities using 16s rRNA barcode gene and sediment bacterial function using fluorometric enzyme analyses. Sample processing and analysis was delayed because of the pandemic but will be complete prior to the SFS meeting. Our results should expand our understanding of the relationship between animals, bacterial communities, and ecosystem function.
- Biological interactions
- Nutrient cycling
- Nutrients
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Presenters/Authors
Edward Higgins
(), University of Oklahoma, higginse@ou.edu;
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Thomas Parr
(), U.S. National Park Service, thomas.parr@ou.edu;
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Caryn Vaughn
(), University of Oklahoma, cvaughn@ou.edu;
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