Cosmopolitan heterotrophic microeukaryotes are active bacterial grazers in experimental oil-polluted systems.
We investigated the population dynamics and prevailing 18S rDNA phylotypes of microeukaryotes (<or= 10 microm) in microcosms containing seawater from either an unpolluted oligotrophic site or a chronically oil-polluted mesotrophic site of the Aegean Sea, amended with crude oil (100 p.p.m. final concentration) and crude oil plus emulsifier (10 p.p.m. final concentration). The addition of oil alone did not result in an important increase of bacteria or their predators, while the addition of oil and emulsifiers caused an important increase in bacteria followed by nanoflagellate predator response. We observed an important shift in the microeukaryotic community structure, which was characterized by the dominance of the same heterotrophic nanoflagellates in all oil-polluted treatments. Thus, the resulting 18S rDNA phylotypes were dominated (48.1-82.4%) by Paraphysomonas foraminifera in all treatments containing crude oil and crude oil plus emulsifier. The origin of the seawater, i.e. unpolluted versus chronically oil-polluted, had no effect on the dominant eukaryote, suggesting that the ubiquitous P. foraminifera is an effective opportunist in oil-polluted aquatic systems. The next dominant phylotypes were Monosiga brevicollis (<or= 27.0%) and Pseudobodo tremulans (<or= 23.1%). However, the addition of the emulsifier increased the dominance of P. foraminifera but decreased that of M. brevicollis and P. tremulans. Our study revealed that these dominant oil-tolerant eukaryotes, which are commonly found in the marine environments, are important grazers of bacteria and as such their dynamics should be taken into account in bioremediation practices in situ.
Dalby
Andrew P
AP
Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, PO Box 712, 190 13 Anavissos, Greece.
Kormas
Konstantinos Ar
KA
Christaki
Urania
U
Karayanni
Hera
H
D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D017753:Ecosystem; D045703:Emulsifying Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D005057:Eukaryotic Cells / Q000382:microbiology*; D052836:Heterotrophic Processes; D008954:Models, Biological; D010578:Petroleum / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics; D012623:Seawater / Q000382:microbiology; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
D045703:Emulsifying Agents; D010578:Petroleum; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical