title: Biogeographical distribution and diversity of bacterial and archaeal communities within highly polluted anoxic marine sediments from the Marmara Sea.
abstract: Physicochemical and microbiological characterization of anoxic sediments taken from seven highly polluted sites of the Marmara Sea was carried out. The 16S rRNA based microbial community structure analyses were performed using domain-specific PCR followed by denaturant gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and sequencing of characteristic bands. The results showed that the microbial communities in these sediments were diverse and evenly distributed. Relating the prokaryotic and geochemical variables through statistical tools revealed that the microbial diversity in the sediments significantly related to depth, and S, Mn and Fe content of the sediments. Fermentative bacteria, denitrifying bacteria and hydrogenotrophic methanogens were dominant whereas sulfate reducing bacteria were absent in the DGGE patterns. This unusual microbial community structure implied that the newly discovered anaerobic methane oxidation coupled to denitrification process may occur in these subseafloor environments.
authors.affiliation: Istanbul Technical University, Department of Environmental Engineering, 34469 Istanbul, Turkey. cetecioglu@itu.edu.tr
authors.forename: Zeynep
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cetecioğlu
authors.forename: Bahar Kasapgil
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Ince
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kolukirik
authors.forename: Orhan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ince
mesh_terms: D001105:Archaea / Q000145:classification*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification*; D044822:Biodiversity; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D019083:Mediterranean Region; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D010100:Oxygen / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D010100:Oxygen