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Jed A Fuhrman1, Ian Hewson, Michael S Schwalbach

  • 1Department of Biological Sciences and Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Southern California, 3616 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, 90089, USA.

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Marine bacterioplankton exhibit highly repeatable temporal patterns in community composition, influencing ecosystem function. This suggests that many bacteria have low functional redundancy, similar to plants and animals.

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Area of Science:

  • Marine microbiology
  • Ecology
  • Molecular biology

Background:

  • Understanding microbial community dynamics is crucial for predicting ecosystem function and response to environmental change.
  • Functional redundancy in microbial communities is poorly understood compared to macroorganisms.
  • Marine bacterioplankton play vital roles in ocean ecosystems.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate temporal patterns in marine bacterioplankton community composition.
  • To determine the predictability and influencing factors of these patterns.
  • To assess functional redundancy in marine microbial communities.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized high-resolution molecular fingerprinting techniques.
  • Analyzed community composition of 171 operational taxonomic units (OTUs).
  • Collected data over 4.5 years at a coastal Microbial Observatory.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated extraordinarily repeatable temporal patterns in bacterioplankton community composition.
  • Found these patterns to be highly predictable and influenced by abiotic and biotic factors.
  • Provided statistically robust evidence of temporal patterning in marine bacterial distribution and abundance.

Conclusions:

  • Marine bacterial distribution and abundance patterns significantly influence ecosystem function and response.
  • A notable subset of marine bacteria exhibits low functional redundancy.
  • Findings suggest microbial communities may function similarly to plant and animal communities regarding ecological roles.