Diatom quantification and their distribution with salinity brines in coastal sediments of terra nova bay (antarctica)

• Published in: Marine Environmental Research
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2012
• Subjects: diatoms; real-time PCR; coastal sediments; SEM-EDX analyses; salinity brines; Terra Nova Bay; Gentile; Gerlache; Gerlache Inlet; Larga; Penguin Bay; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2262/62842; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2011.02.005

Abstract Benthic diatoms represent an important element of global nutritional productivity; to raise attention on their role, which is often neglected due to analytical difficulties, surface (1 cm top layer) coastal sediments from Gerlache inlet to Penguin Bay at Terra Nova Bay were collected and stored at -20?C. DNA amplification by real-time-PCR, based on diatom-specific oligonucleotide primers designed on small-subunit rRNA (SSU rRNA), was performed in addition to diatom conventional cell counting and spectrophotometric determination of photo-pigments. Moreover, cations and anions were determined in sediments with the aim to identify factors involved in the control of diatom abundance. Diatom distribution was found quite heterogeneous displaying significant differences from site to site. The salinity in sediments ranged from 45.1 at Gerlache inlet to 76.2 at Penguin Bay and it was correlated with cell abundance, biodiversity, amount of pigments and amplified DNA. The dominant species, Fragilariopsis curta, was associated to sediment salinity brines. correspondence: Correspondence: Franco Baldi, Department of Environmental Science Ca Foscari University of Venezia, Tel. [phone]. (Baldi, Franco) [e-mail] (Baldi, Franco) Department of Environmental Sciences, Ca? Foscari University - Calle Larga S. Marta Dorsoduro 2137--> , 30123 Venezia--> - ITALY (Baldi, Franco) ITALY (Baldi, Franco) Department of Environmental Sciences, Ca? Foscari University - Calle Larga S. Marta Dorsoduro 2137--> , 30123 Venezia--> - ITALY (Facca, Chiara) Department of Environmental Sciences, Ca? Foscari University - Calle Larga S. Marta Dorsoduro 2137--> , 30123 Venezia--> - ITALY (Marchetto, Davide) Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Microbial Biotechnologies, Department of Biosciences and Biotechnologies, University of Camerino - Via Gentile III da Varano; 62032 Camerino (MC) Italy--> - (Nguyen, Thi Nhu Mai) Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Microbial Biotechnologies, Department of Biosciences and Biotechnologies, University of Camerino - Via Gentile III da Varano; 62032 Camerino (MC) Italy--> - (Spurio, Roberto) ITALY Received: 2010-11-30 Revised: 2011-02-15 Accepted: 2011-02-18