Variations in microbial community on different materials in Sanya Marine Environment Experimental Station, China

Marine biofouling occurs through the colonization of undesired microorganisms on the surfaces of structures. In this study, four immersion cycles (2, 5, 15, and 25 days) of total immersion in seawater were carried out at the Sanya Marine Environmental Test Station using three materials: industrial pure titanium (Ti), hot-dip zinc (Zn), and glass slide (GS). Three phyla, four classes, and nine bacterial genera were identified. The dominant genera were Pseudomonas, Alteromonas, and Pseudoalteromonas. The number of bacteria increased with soaking time. Sixty-one species of diatoms belonging to 30 genera, 24 families, and 16 orders were detected, among which the dominant genera were Amphora, Nitzschia, and Navicula. Four genera of ciliates belonged to two classes, three orders, and four families, among which the dominant species were Euplotes sp. and Uronema marinum. Tubular polychaetes was the dominant metazoans. Species diversity increased over time. The highest biofilm diversity was observed on the GS surface. The diversity of biofilms on the Ti surface was higher than that on the Zn surface. This study provides basic data for marine material research, marine corrosion, and national defence construction.