• ALGAE
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.235-243
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• 2006

Benthic sediment samples ranging from poorly aggregated sand to complex, stratified mats were collected from six hypersaline ponds from March and July 1995 in the British Virgin Islands. Assemblages were analyzed with respect to species composition and abundance within visibly distinct layers in each mat sample. In individual ponds there was no apparent association between changing depth and the development of the benthic mats. Some species were present in all samples (e.g. Oscillatoria sp.) while others were restricted to single sites (e.g. Johannesbaptistia pellucida). Primary species included Microcoleus chthonoplastes, Phormidium spp., Coccochloris stagnina, and purple sulfur bacteria. Quantitative analysis of community structure included cluster and principal component analysis. Samples from individual ponds were often clustered; however, this was subject to seasonal variation. Mats collected in March were generally thicker and contained more layers than those in July. Variation among sites was not explained by the measured variation in environmental factors such as average pond salinity, depth, and oxygen concentration (mg/L). This study provides a detailed analysis of mat communities in hypersaline ponds and compares them with similar mat communities from other areas.

• ALGAE
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.361-373
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• 2020

The community dynamics of benthic diatoms in the hypersaline environment are investigated to advance our understanding how salinity impacts marine life. Diatoms were sampled in the two salterns encompassing salt Ponds, ditches, and seawater reservoirs (n = 11), along the salinity gradient (max = 324 psu), and nearby tidal flats (n = 2). The floral assemblages and distributions across sites and stations showed great variations, with a total of 169 identified taxa. First, not surprisingly, higher diversity of benthic diatoms was found at natural tidal flats than salterns. The saltern diatoms generally showed salinity dependent distributions with distinct spatial changes in species composition and dominant taxa. Biota-environment and principal component analysis confirmed that salinity, mud content, and total nitrogen were key factors influencing the overall benthic community structure. Some dominant species, e.g., Nitzschia scalpelliformis and Achnanthes sp. 1, showed salinity tolerance / preference. The number of diatom species at salinity of >100 psu reduced over half and no diatoms were found at maximum salinity of 324 psu. The highest salinity for the observed live diatoms was 205 psu, however, a simple regression indicated a theoretical salinity threshold of ~300 psu on the survival. Finally, the indicator species were identified along the salinity gradient in salterns as well as natural tidal flats. Overall, high species numbers, varying taxa, and euryhaline distributions of saltern diatoms collectively reflected a dynamic saltern ecosystem. The present study would provide backgrounds for biodiversity monitoring of ecologically important microalgal producers in some unique hypersaline environment, and elsewhere.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.10
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• pp.1640-1645
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• 2006

We studied the diversity of the halophilic archaea and bacteria in crystallizer ponds of a Korean solar saltern by analyzing 16S rRNA gene libraries. Although diverse halophilic archaeal lineages were detected, the majority (56%) were affiliated with the uncultured and cultured Halorubrum group. Halophilic archaea that have been frequently observed in solar saltern environments previously, such as Halogeometricum, Halococcus, Haloarcula, and Haloferax, were not detected in our samples. The majority of clones (53%) belonged to the Cytophaga-Flavobacterium-Bacteroides and ${\alpha}-,\;{\gamma}-,\;and\;{\delta}-Proteobacteria$ groups, with 47% of the clones being affiliated with ${\gamma}-Proteobacteria$. We also identified new ${\delta}-Proteobacteria$-related bacteria that have not been observed in hypersaline environments previously. Our data show that the diversity of the halophilic archaea and bacteria in our Korean saltern differs from that of solar salterns found in other geographic locations. We also showed by quantitative real-time PCR analysis that bacteria can form a significant component of the microbial community in solar salterns.