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Simultaneous DNA-RNA Extraction from Coastal Sediments and Quantification of 16S rRNA Genes and Transcripts by Real-time PCR
Published on: June 11, 2016
Functional biodiversity of marine soft-sediment polychaetes from two Mediterranean coastal areas in relation to
F Nasi1, M C Nordström2, E Bonsdorff2
1Sezione di Oceanografia, Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale - OGS, I-34151 Trieste, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze Della Vita, Università degli Studi di Trieste, Trieste, Italy.
Abstract:
Biological Traits Analysis (BTA) was used to identify functional features of infaunal polychaete assemblages associated with contamination in two Italian coastal areas: the harbour of Trieste (Adriatic Sea) and the Mar Piccolo of Taranto (Ionian Sea). The analysis was performed on 103 taxa, collected at four stations in each area. The two areas differed in species composition. The low diversity and the presence of stress-tolerant species in more polluted sites were not reflected in functional diversity, due to species contributing little to community functions or being functionally redundant. Sand and clay fractions were significant drivers of trait category expressions, however other environmental parameters (depth, total organic carbon and nitrogen, and Hg in sediments) influenced traits composition. Motile was the prevalent trait in environments with coarse sediments, and tube-builder were related to fine-grained ones. Motile, endobenthic and burrower were essential traits for living in contaminated sediments. Epibenthic and sessile polychaetes dominated at stations subjected to high organic loads. BTA offers an integrative approach to detect functional adaptations to contaminated sediments and multiple anthropogenic stressors.
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