Metagenomics of the Galapagos Marine Microbiome

The Galapagos Islands are located in the eastern Pacific Ocean where several currents interact to create diverse marine environments. Heterotrophic bacteria control how much carbon is available to organisms at higher trophic levels; however, the compositions of the Galapagos microbiome and how differences in microbial community structure are driven by the diverse environmental conditions found among the islands are currently unknown. Environmental samples were collected from 18 stations across the islands and DNA was extracted and sequenced. The sequencing data was analyzed to estimate the relative and absolute cell abundance in each sample. Candidatus Pelagibacter and Synechococcus were the most abundant taxa across the majority of the stations. Distinct community compositions were found at stations located at the western side of the islands in 2016 when the La Nina strengthened the upwelling caused by the Equatorial Undercurrent in this region, suggesting that certain bacteria were selected for by the nutrient-rich environment. The findings provide insight into the microbial community compositions of the Galapagos marine environment and offer potential microbial markers for characterizing the physical environment.Bachelor of Scienc