title: Biogeochemical and hydrological drivers of the dynamics of Vibrio species in two Patagonian estuaries.
abstract: The ecology of the most relevant Vibrio species for human health and their relation to water quality and biogeochemistry were studied in two estuaries in Argentinian Patagonia. Vibrio cholerae and Vibrio parahaemolyticus were reported in >29% of cases at the Río Colorado and Río Negro estuaries. Neither the pandemic serogroups of Vibrio cholerae O1, Vibrio cholerae O139 nor the cholera toxin gene were detected in this study. However, several strains of V. cholerae (not O1 or O139) are able to cause human disease or acquire pathogenic genes by horizontal transfer. Vibrio vulnificus was detected only in three instances in the microplankton fraction of the Río Negro estuary. The higher salinity in the Río Colorado estuary and in marine stations at both estuaries favours an abundance of culturable Vibrio. The extreme peaks for ammonium, heterotrophic bacteria and faecal coliforms in the Río Negro estuary supported a marked impact on sewage discharge. Generally, the more pathogenic strains of Vibrio have a faecal origin. Salinity, pH, ammonium, chlorophyll a, silicate and carbon/nitrogen ratio of suspended organic particulates were the primary factors explaining the distribution of culturable bacteria after distance-based linear models. Several effects of dissolved organic carbon on bacterial distribution are inferred. Global change is expected to increase the trophic state and the salinisation of Patagonian estuaries. Consequently, the distribution and abundance of Vibrio species is projected to increase under future changing baselines. Adaptation strategies should contribute to sustaining good water quality to buffer climate- and anthropogenic- driven impacts.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas and Universidad Nacional del Sur, Florida 4750, B8000FWB Bahía Blanca, Argentina; Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology, Fahrenheitstr. 6, 28359 Bremen, Germany. Electronic address: gkopprio@criba.edu.ar.
authors.forename: Germán A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Kopprio
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Biochemistry and Pharmacy, Universidad Nacional del Sur, San Juan 670, 8000 Bahía Blanca, Argentina.
authors.forename: M Eugenia
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Streitenberger
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Science, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, 1-58, Rinku orai-kita, Izumisano-shi, Osaka 598-8531, Japan.
authors.forename: Kentaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okuno
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Biochemistry and Pharmacy, Universidad Nacional del Sur, San Juan 670, 8000 Bahía Blanca, Argentina.
authors.forename: Mónica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baldini
authors.affiliation: Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas and Universidad Nacional del Sur, Florida 4750, B8000FWB Bahía Blanca, Argentina.
authors.forename: Florencia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Biancalana
authors.affiliation: Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas and Universidad Nacional del Sur, Florida 4750, B8000FWB Bahía Blanca, Argentina; Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology, Fahrenheitstr. 6, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fricke
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Universidad Nacional del Sur, Av. Alem 1253, B8000CPB Bahía Blanca, Argentina.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Science, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, 1-58, Rinku orai-kita, Izumisano-shi, Osaka 598-8531, Japan.
authors.forename: Sucharit B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Neogi
authors.affiliation: Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research, Marine Chemistry, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany.
authors.forename: Boris P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Science, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, 1-58, Rinku orai-kita, Izumisano-shi, Osaka 598-8531, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamasaki
authors.affiliation: Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas and Universidad Nacional del Sur, Florida 4750, B8000FWB Bahía Blanca, Argentina.
authors.forename: Rubén J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Lara
mesh_terms: D001118:Argentina; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D063366:Estuaries; D014733:Vibrio / Q000254:growth & development*; D014871:Water Microbiology
keywords: Changing baseline; Cholera; Hydrology; Nutrients; Organic matter; Sewage