Bacterial communities in sediment of a Mediterranean Marine Protected Area

Biodiversity is crucial in preservation of ecosystems, and bacterial communities play an indispensable role for the functioning of marine ecosystems. The Mediterranean Marine Protected Area (MPA) â Capo Gallo-Isola delle Femmineâ was instituted to preserve marine biodiversity. The bacterial diversity associated to MPA sediment was compared with that from sediment of an adjacent harbor exposed to intense nautical traffic. MPA sediment showed higher diversity in respect to the impacted site. A 16S rDNA clone library of the MPA sediment allowed the identification of 7 phyla, Proteobacteria (78%), Firmicutes (11%), Acidobacteria (3%), Actinobacteria (3%), Bacteroidetes (2%), Planctomycetes (2%) and Cyanobacteria (1%). The analysis of the hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria was performed using enrichment cultures. Most of the MPA isolates were affiliated to Gram-positive G+C rich bacteria while the majority of taxa in the harbor clustered with Alpha and Gamma Proteobacteria; No Gram-positive HC-degraders were isolated from the harbor sediment. Our results show that protection has probably an influence on bacterial diversity, and suggest the importance of monitoring the effects of protection also at microbial level. This study creates a baseline of data that can be used to assess changes in bacterial communities associated with a Mediterranean MPA, over time.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author