Marine Biology Commons^™

Theory Of Island Biogeography On A Microscopic Scale: Organic Aggregates As Islands For Aquatic Pathogens, M. M. Lyons, J. E. Ward, Holly Gaff, R. E. Hicks, J. M. Drake, Fred C. Dobbs

OES Faculty Publications

Four predictions of the MacArthur-Wilson theory of island biogeography were evaluated to assess the degree to which detrital-based organic aggregates (e.g. marine snow, organic detritus, and bioflocs) may provide a favorable microhabitat (i.e. an 'island') for bacteria in general, and specifically aquatic pathogens. We demonstrate the theory's relevance for microbial communities in aquatic environments by describing the community metabolic response and functional diversity of individual organic aggregates while documenting the persistence of potential pathogens and fecal indicator bacteria. Our results support the 4 predictions, including a significant species-area relationship, consistency of species richness at equilibrium, non-zero level of species turnover …