The Effect of Salmon Food-Derived DOM and Glacial Melting on Activity and Diversity of Free-Living Bacterioplankton in Chilean Patagonian Fjords.

Fjord ecosystems cycle and export significant amounts of carbon and appear to be extremely sensitive to climate change and anthropogenic perturbations. To identify patterns of microbial responses to ongoing natural and human-derived changes in the fjords of Chilean Patagonia, we examined the effect of organic enrichment associated with salmon aquaculture and freshening produced by glacial melting on bacterial production (BP), extracellular enzymatic activity (EEA), and community diversity of free-living bacterioplankton. We assayed the effects of salmon food-derived dissolved organic matter (SF-DOM) and meltwaters through microcosm experiments containing waters from Puyuhuapi Fjord and the proglacial fjords of the Southern Patagonia Icefield, respectively. Rates of BP and EEA were 2 times higher in the presence of SF-DOM than in controls, whereas the addition of autochthonous organic matter derived from diatoms (D-DOM) resulted in rates of BP and EEA similar to those measured in the controls. The addition of SF-DOM also reduced species richness and abundance of a significant fraction of the representative taxa of bacterioplankton of Puyuhuapi Fjord. In the proglacial fjords, bacterioplankton diversity was reduced in areas more heavily influenced by meltwaters and was accompanied by moderate positive changes in BP and EEA. Our findings strongly suggest that SF-DOM is highly reactive, promoting enhanced rates of microbial activity while could be influencing the diversity of bacterioplankton communities in Patagonian fjords with a strong salmon farming activity. These findings challenge the traditional view of phytoplankton production as the primary source of labile DOM that fuels heterotrophic activity in coastal ecosystems impacted by anthropogenic organic enrichment. Given the intensive local production of salmon, we analyze the significance of this emerging source of rich "allochthonous" organic substrates for autotrophic/heterotrophic balance, carbon exportation, and hypoxia in Patagonian fjords. The effect of human DOM enrichment can be enhanced in proglacial fjords, where progressive glacial melting exerts additional selective pressure on bacterioplankton diversity.

Water column circulation drives microplastic distribution in the Martínez-Baker channels; A large fjord ecosystem in Chilean Patagonia.

We investigated the distribution of microplastics in the water column along a large remote estuarine system located between the Northern and Southern Patagonian Ice Fields in Chilean Patagonia, and connected with the Pacific Ocean through the Gulf of Penas. Microplastic particles were found in all samples, with abundances ranging from 0.1 to 7 particles/m3. Polymers identified were principally acrylics, PET, and cellophane. The average abundance of microplastics in surface waters was similar along the whole estuary (0.4 ± 0.3 particles/m3) with acrylics and epoxy resins being more abundant near Caleta Tortel, the only small village in the area. The observed higher abundance of microplastics in the deeper waters towards the Gulf of Penas points to intrusions of subsurface waters transporting plastic particles from the ocean into the channel system. This underlines the potential of ocean currents in transporting plastic pollution into pristine fjords and channels in Chilean Patagonia.

Diversity of culturable filamentous Ascomycetes in the eastern South Pacific Ocean off Chile.

Our study reports the diversity of culturable mycoplankton in the eastern South Pacific Ocean off Chile to contribute with novel knowledge on taxonomy of filamentous fungi isolated from distinct physicochemical and biological marine environments. We characterized spatial distribution of isolates, evaluated their viability and assessed the influence of organic substrate availability on fungal development. Thirty-nine Operational Taxonomic Units were identified from 99 fungal strains isolated from coastal and oceanic waters by using Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery. All Operational Taxonomic Units belonged to phylum Ascomycota and orders Eurotiales, Dothideales, Sordariales and Hypocreales, mainly Penicillium sp. (82%); 11 sequences did not match existing species in GenBank, suggesting occurrence of novel fungal taxa. Our results suggest that fungal communities in the South Pacific Ocean off Chile appear to thrive in a wide range of environmental conditions in the ocean and that substrate availability may be a factor influencing fungal viability in the ocean.

Fungal parasites infect marine diatoms in the upwelling ecosystem of the Humboldt current system off central Chile.

This is the first report of fungal parasitism of diatoms in a highly productive coastal upwelling ecosystem, based on a year-round time series of diatom and parasitic Chytridiomycota abundance in the Humboldt Current System off Chile (36°30.80'S-73°07.70'W). Our results show co-variation in the presence of Skeletonema, Thalassiosira and Chaetoceros diatoms with attached and detached chytrid sporangia. High abundance of attached sporangia was observed during the austral spring, coinciding with a predominance of Thalassiosira and Skeletonema under active upwelling conditions. Towards the end of austral spring, a decreasing proportion of attached sporangia was accompanied by a decline in abundance of Skeletonema and Thalassiosira and the predominance of Chaetoceros, suggesting specificity and host density dependence of chytrid infection. The new findings on fungal parasitism of diatoms provide further support for the inclusion of Fungi in the current model of the role played by the marine microbial community in the coastal ocean. We propose a conceptual model where Fungi contribute to controlling the dynamics of phytoplankton populations, as well as the release of organic matter and the transfer of organic carbon through the pelagic trophic web in coastal upwelling ecosystems.

Melting glacier impacts community structure of Bacteria, Archaea and Fungi in a Chilean Patagonia fjord.

Jorge Montt glacier, located in the Patagonian Ice Fields, has undergone an unprecedented retreat during the past century. To study the impact of the meltwater discharge on the microbial community of the downstream fjord, we targeted Bacteria, Archaea and Fungi communities during austral autumn and winter. Our results showed a singular microbial community present in cold and low salinity surface waters during autumn, when a thicker meltwater layer was observed. Meltwater bacterial sequences were related to Cyanobacteria, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Bacteriodetes previously identified in freshwater and cold ecosystems, suggesting the occurrence of microorganisms adapted to live in the extreme conditions of meltwater. For Fungi, representative sequences related to terrestrial and airborne fungal taxa indicated transport of allochthonous Fungi by the meltwater discharge. In contrast, bottom fjord waters from autumn and winter showed representative Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) related to sequences of marine microorganisms, which is consistent with current models of fjord circulation. We conclude that meltwater can significantly modify the structure of microbial communities and support the development of a major fraction of microorganisms in surface waters of Patagonian fjords.

Five new species of yeasts from fresh water and marine habitats in the Florida Everglades.

Yeast populations in the Shark River Slough of the Florida Everglades, USA, were examined during a 3-year period (2002-2005) at six locations ranging from fresh water marshes to marine mangroves. Seventy-four described species (33 ascomycetes and 41 basidiomycetes) and an approximately equal number of undescribed species were isolated during the course of the investigation. Serious human pathogens, such as Candida tropicalis, were not observed, which indicates that their presence in coastal waters is due to sources of pollution. Some of the observed species were widespread throughout the fresh water and marine habitats, whereas others appeared to be habitat restricted. Species occurrence ranged from prevalent to rare. Five representative unknown species were selected for formal description. The five species comprise two ascomycetes: Candida sharkiensis sp. nov. (CBS 11368(T)) and Candida rhizophoriensis sp. nov. (CBS 11402(T)) (Saccharomycetales, Metschnikowiaceae), and three basidiomycetes: Rhodotorula cladiensis sp. nov. (CBS 10878(T)) in the Sakaguchia clade (Cystobasidiomycetes), Rhodotorula evergladiensis sp. nov. (CBS 10880(T)) in the Rhodosporidium toruloides clade (Microbotryomycetes, Sporidiobolales) and Cryptococcus mangaliensis sp. nov. (CBS 10870(T)) in the Bulleromyces clade (Agaricomycotina, Tremellales).