Molecular diversity time series database for northern Gulf of Mexico

While microorganisms are rather small, they encompass a large percentage of the biomass and diversity seen in marine environments. They are the building blocks that makeup the foundations of critical marine food webs. Cataloging and monitoring these organisms is important to understand their vital roles in food webs and nutrient cycling (Azam et al. 1983). It is crucial to establish baseline community dynamics in an aquatic system over an extended period. Once a baseline has been established. we can explore how or why microbial communities change. Through the continuation of this seasona study, we have collected water samples from the Pensacola Beach Pier for over six years, providing a wealth of experience and many molecular diversity samples to be processed

Continuation of Time Series Database for Pensacola Beach microbial ecology

The ocean has some of the most diverse and productive ecosystem communities In the world, specifically microbial communities. • Although quite small, microorganism play important ecological roles in terrestrial, aquatic, and marine environments • Understanding microbial diversity and how these communities change when faced with environmental stressors is important as humans continue to alter the environment. • Baseline datasets provide valuable opportunities to compare and understand the effects of anthropogenic activities on any given environment • By creating a time series database study for microbial communities at Pensacola Beach, seasonal changes in biogeochemical processes, diversity, and community structure could be easily detected and studied