Hypersaline Environments Constitute Typical Examples

Abstract: Microorganism need to live in ideal conditions so they can grow. This experiment was performed to determine if there was a greater number of microorganisms in Winthrop lake than Winthrop wetlands. We determined this hypothesis because the lake was bigger. We also made the hypothesis that the pH level of the lake was going to be higher than the wetlands. We tested out the hypothesis by going out to Winthrop lake and wetlands and collecting samples of water. Back in the lab, we examined the samples under a microscope and recorded all the organisms we could find on Excel. Also, we tested the pH levels of the

The aim of this lab is to determine if the Seven River oyster is suitable for oyster restoration. During this lab we learned that Salinity affects the oysters if it is more than 10-13ppt. We also have knowledge that there is a parasite (the protozoan, Haplospordium nelson) that causes the disease MSX in oysters (Readel, 2000). Moreover, at the lab we knew that MSX bacteria will grow if salinity is above 15 ppt that will cause the oysters to die. The oysters can be affected by MSX if the salinity is above 15 ppt (Readel, 2000). Furthermore, Oysters are also used to filter the water of the river. Also, we learned that the range of tolerance of salinity for oysters is 10-27

Just like eukaryote species, not all bacteria species are identical in the way they behave, grow or interact with their environment (Mujtaba & DeJarnette, 2012). Microbes can be unique in the way they grow on nutrient agar (NA) plates. How their colonies form on the agar plates can also be an exclusive property of specific bacteria species. Microbes can grow in the presence of different nutrients, environments and can also be inhibited by or thrive in the presence of specific agents in the medium. For example inoculating a blood agar plate with the organism, can indicate its hemolysis activity, which it will fall in one of the three groups alpha (α), beta (β), or gamma (γ).

During the summers the oxygen content atop the water normally has a salinity level consistent with “more than 8 milligrams per liter”; but when oxygen content drops down to “less than 2 milligrams per liter” the water is then known to be in hypoxic state (CENR, 2000; USGS, 2006). Hypoxia is the result of oxygen levels decreasing to the point where aquatic organisms can no longer survive in the water column. Organisms such as fish, shrimps, and crabs are capable to evacuate the area but the fauna that cannot move either become stress and/or die. Due to this, many call the hypoxia zone the “dead zone” (Overview, 2008; USGS, 2006).

Finally there is the Hyperthermophiles. Found in very hot temperatures such as hydrothermal vents in deep oceans. With this said, the two microorganisms that I worked with would be known as Mesophiles. Both of these microorganisms grow on or in the human body. They prefer moist heat that is body temperature. I made an incubation box to help mimic the temperatures needed. Typically trying to maintain the temperature of thirty seven degrees Celsius.

Organisms residing here must be able to adapt to the environment. Factors include major temperature fluctuations both in the water and on land. In New England we experience four distinct seasons, so organisms must be able to adapt to that. They must also be able to withstand the daily water level changes caused by the tides. While in the marsh. My group saw a lot of dead fish in a dried up pool, while only a foot or so away there were more of the same species of fish thriving in the muddy water. Organisms living in the water must also adjust to different concentrations of salt in the water, depending on the ratio of salt and fresh water. Organisms must be hardy to live in a New England Salt

Salinity: Hypersaline Laguna Madre salinity levels are generally around 0-65 ppt, Drought and Evaporation and No tidal pass can increase salinity up to 150ppt. Whereas Typical estuary salinity levels are around 0-35 ppt. Port Aransas is the best example for a Typical Estuary.

Halophiles are adaptive by two strategies that include strategies to survive with the osmotic pressure that made by the high NaCl concentration of the normal environments they inhabit (Madigan, M.T.1999, Oren, A, 2002). Other strategy is accumulating of inorganic ions in the cytoplasm (K+, Na+, Cl-) that is in some extremely halophilic bacteria and balance the osmotic pressure of the medium, they have specific proteins which are able to be stable and active in the salty condition. In contrast, moderate halophiles have other strategies to accumulate high amounts of specific organic osmolytes in the cytoplasm, that function as osmoprotectants, which provide osmotic balance and it has not any interfering with the normal metabolism of the cell

All species were collected along with soil substrate from Jean Lafitte Historical National Park and Preserve, Barataria, New Orleans, USA (Denslow and Battaglia 2002). Swamp water was also collected and brought to the SIUC greenhouse. Each microcosm experiment comprised of forty eight aquaria (40×19×12cm in a completely randomized design (4 levels of salinity or desiccation × 3 levels of invasions × 4 replicates of each treatment combination =48)) that were assigned randomly to different treatment combinations. Before the treatment combinations were applied, we put an equal amount of soil substrate, which filled the bottom 1.5 cm of each aquarium. Treatment A was a degree of invasion and it had three levels: no invasion, partial invasion, and

Microorganisms senses and respond to changes in environment. Certain types of Gram-positive bacteria species such as certain Bacillus and Clostridium species forms endospores when encountering environmental stress such as nutrient starvation [34] as shown in Fig 27. The bacterial spores differ significantly from the corresponding vegetative cells. Spores are metabolically dormant and exhibit resistance properties making them highly resistant to many treatments including extremes of temperature, radiation and chemical biocides[34] . The extraordinary resistance properties of endospores make them of particular importance because they are not easily killed by common biocidal agents.

Most aquatic organisms can only tolerate a specific salinity range. The physiological adaption of each species is determined by the salinity of its surrounding environment. Most species of fish are stenohaline, or exclusively freshwater or exclusively saltwater. However, there are a few organisms that can adapt to a range of salinities. These euryhaline organisms can be anadromous, catadromous or true euryhaline. Anadromous organisms live in saltwater but spawn in freshwater. Catadromous species are the opposite – they live in freshwater and migrate to saltwater to spawn. True euryhaline species can be found in saltwater or freshwater at any point in their life cycle. Estuarine organisms are true euryhaline.

During phase 1, I contacted management at Vitazyme, Seacrop, and Drammatic and acquired written permission for use of their products in research. Danielle Gibbs ordered Pseudomonas fluorescens (Item# 155255A) and Bacillus subtilis (Item # 154921A) MicroKwik Culture®, Vials from Carolina Biological Supply; and Bacillus licheniformis (Cat# 23-001-865) KWIK-STIK™ from Fisher Scientific. The bacteria were rehydrated, inoculated into selective broths, diluted to fifty percent with glycerol, and transferred into cryptic vials at negative eighty degrees Celsius.

Biofilms are formed on almost any surface that is submerged in non sterile water. Even hot springs, and glaciers. Examples of common places where biofilms are found are pipes, hulls of ships, porcelain surface of toilet bowls, wood siding, shower tiles, plastics, wooden cutting boards,

Saline soils contain adequate amounts of salts to harm plants growth prominently. It may be identified by white or light brown crusts on the soil surface. Saline soils usually have an EC of more than 4 mmho cm-1. Salts that are usually created in saline soils include NaCl (table salt), CaCl2, gypsum (CaSO4), magnesium sul¬fate, potassium chloride and sodium sulfate.

The effect of environmental factors such as temperature, osmotic pressure, oxygen concentration and pH on microbial growth and survival