Abstract:

This dataset contains values for abundances of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA), methane-oxdizing bacteria (MOB), and denitrifying bacteria (DNB) collected from 12 marshes in Terrebonne Bay (TB), western Barataria Bay (WB), and Port Sulphur in eastern Barataria Bay (PS), LA. In each region, we sampled two oiled marshes and two unoiled marshes. At each marsh, we collected 5-cm deep soil cores along a 20-m transect from the marsh edge and collecting soil samples every 5 m. Each sample was analyzed for abundance of AOB (betaproteobacterial amoA genes), AOA (archaeal amoA genes), MOB (pmoA genes), and DNB (nirS genes). Marshes in TB were sampled in March, May, July, September 2013, and the WB and PS marshes were sampled in May, July and September 2013.

Suggested Citation:

Bernhard, Anne. 2016. Abundance of ammonia oxidizers, methane oxidizers, and denitrifiers in Louisiana salt marshes three years after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (2013). Distributed by: GRIIDC, Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/N7X63JVT

Publications:

Bernhard, A. E., Chelsky, A., Giblin, A. E., & Roberts, B. J. (2019). Influence of Local and Regional Drivers on Spatial and Temporal Variation of Ammonia‐Oxidizing Communities in Gulf of Mexico Salt Marshes. Environmental Microbiology Reports. doi:10.1111/1758-2229.12802

Purpose:

This dataset was developed as part of a research project investigating the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on salt marsh biogeochemistry and microbial ecology. This particular project was directed to determine: 1) if there was a significant impact on abundance of ammonia- and methane-oxiding and denitrifying microbial communities; and 2) if there were spatial (regional, within marsh) or temporal patterns in their distribution.

Data Parameters and Units:

Region-Site-Plot: identifies the region (TB for Terrebonne Bay, WB for western Barataria Bay, EB for eastern Barataria Bay), Site (four sites within each region), and Plot number (four plots at each site that are increasing distance from marsh edge (1 = 5 m, 2 = 10 m, 3 = 15 m, 4 = 20 m) Oil Status: oiled indicates sites that received Macondo oil AOA: archaeal ammonia monooxygenase (amoA) gene abundance in copies/gram dry weight AOB: betaproteobacterial ammonia monooxygenase (amoA) gene abundance in copies/gram dry weight MOB: particulate methane monooxygenase (pmoA) gene abundance in copies/gram dry weight DNB: nitrite reductase (nirS) gene abundance in copies/gram dry weight Sampling site latitude (decimal degrees) longitude (decimal degrees) TB 1 29.29297 -90.604939 TB 2 29.2915 -90.602824 TB 3 29.304486 -90.565818 TB 4 29.2964 -90.549793 WB 1 29.288949 -90.042667 WB 2 29.265837 -90.024864 WB 3 29.2801 -89.975833 WB 4 29.276533 -89.97535 PS 3A 29.4608 -89.8750 PS 5 29.4508 -89.7500 PS 6 29.4458 -89.8761 PS 7 29.4742 -89.8564

Methods:

Gene abundances were measured for betaproteobacterial amoA (AOB), archaeal amoA (AOA), pmoA (MOB), and nirS (DNB) using real-time PCR

Instruments:

Real-time PCR was carried out on an iCycler (BioRad)

Individual Files: