Distinct responses of bacterial communities to agricultural and urban impacts in temperate southern African estuaries
- Matcher, Gwynneth F, Froneman, P William, Meiklejohn, Ian, Dorrington, Rosemary A
- Authors: Matcher, Gwynneth F , Froneman, P William , Meiklejohn, Ian , Dorrington, Rosemary A
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/479218 , vital:78271 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2017.11.015
- Description: Worldwide, estuaries are regarded as amongst the most ecologically threatened ecosystems and are increasingly being impacted by urban development, agricultural activities and reduced freshwater inflow. In this study, we examined the influence of different human activities on the diversity and structure of bacterial communities in the water column and sediment in three distinct, temperate permanently open estuarine systems within the same geographic region of southern Africa. The Kariega system is freshwater-deprived and is considered to be relatively pristine; the Kowie estuary is marine-dominated and impacted by urban development, while the Sundays system is fresh-water dominated and impacted by agricultural activity in its catchment. The bacterial communities in all three systems comprise predominantly heterotrophic species belonging to the Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria phyla with little overlap between bacterioplankton and benthic bacterial communities at the species level. There was overlap between the operational taxonomic units (OTUs) of the Kowie and Kariega, both marine-influenced estuaries. However, lower species richness in the Kowie, likely reflects the impact of human settlements along the estuary. The dominant OTUs in the Sundays River system were distinct from those of the Kariega and Kowie estuaries with an overall decrease in species richness and evenness. This study provides an important snapshot into the microbial population structures of permanently open temperate estuarine systems and the influence of anthropogenic impacts on bacterial diversity and community structure.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Matcher, Gwynneth F , Froneman, P William , Meiklejohn, Ian , Dorrington, Rosemary A
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/479218 , vital:78271 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2017.11.015
- Description: Worldwide, estuaries are regarded as amongst the most ecologically threatened ecosystems and are increasingly being impacted by urban development, agricultural activities and reduced freshwater inflow. In this study, we examined the influence of different human activities on the diversity and structure of bacterial communities in the water column and sediment in three distinct, temperate permanently open estuarine systems within the same geographic region of southern Africa. The Kariega system is freshwater-deprived and is considered to be relatively pristine; the Kowie estuary is marine-dominated and impacted by urban development, while the Sundays system is fresh-water dominated and impacted by agricultural activity in its catchment. The bacterial communities in all three systems comprise predominantly heterotrophic species belonging to the Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria phyla with little overlap between bacterioplankton and benthic bacterial communities at the species level. There was overlap between the operational taxonomic units (OTUs) of the Kowie and Kariega, both marine-influenced estuaries. However, lower species richness in the Kowie, likely reflects the impact of human settlements along the estuary. The dominant OTUs in the Sundays River system were distinct from those of the Kariega and Kowie estuaries with an overall decrease in species richness and evenness. This study provides an important snapshot into the microbial population structures of permanently open temperate estuarine systems and the influence of anthropogenic impacts on bacterial diversity and community structure.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
SEAmester – South Africa’s first class afloat
- Ansorge, Isabelle J, Brundrit, Geoff, Brundrit, Jean, Dorrington, Rosemary A, Fawcett, Sarah, Gammon, David, Henry, Tahlia, Hermes, Juliet, Hölscher, Beate, d’Hotman, Jethan, Meiklejohn, Ian, Morris, Tammy, Pinto, Izidine, Du Plessis, Marcel, Roman, Raymond, Saunders, Clinton, Shabangu, Fannie W, De Vos, Marc, Walker, David R, Louw, Gavin
- Authors: Ansorge, Isabelle J , Brundrit, Geoff , Brundrit, Jean , Dorrington, Rosemary A , Fawcett, Sarah , Gammon, David , Henry, Tahlia , Hermes, Juliet , Hölscher, Beate , d’Hotman, Jethan , Meiklejohn, Ian , Morris, Tammy , Pinto, Izidine , Du Plessis, Marcel , Roman, Raymond , Saunders, Clinton , Shabangu, Fannie W , De Vos, Marc , Walker, David R , Louw, Gavin
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/65539 , vital:28808 , https://doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2016/a0171
- Description: publisher version , From Introduction: Marine science is a highly competitive environment. The need to improve the cohort of South African postgraduates, who would be recognised both nationally and internationally for their scientific excellence, is crucial. It is possible to attract students early on in their careers to this discipline via cutting-edge science, technology and unique field experiences. Through the engagement of students with real-life experiences such as SEAmester, universities supporting marine science postgraduate degree programmes can attract a sustainable throughput of numerically proficient students. By achieving a more quantitative and experienced input into our postgraduate degree programmes, we will, as a scientific community, greatly improve our long-term capabilities to accurately measure, model and predict the impacts of current climate change scenarios. The short-term goal is to attract and establish a cohort of proficient marine and atmospheric science graduates who will contribute to filling the capacity needs of South African marine science as a whole. The SEAmester programme, by involving researchers from across all the relevant disciplines and tertiary institutions, provides an opportunity to build a network of collaborative teaching within the marine field. In doing so, these researchers will foster and strengthen new and current collaborations between historically white and black universities (Figure 1). The long-term objective of SEAmester is to build critical mass within the marine sciences to ensure sustained growth of human capacity in marine science in South Africa – aligning closely with the current DST Research and Development strategies and the Operation Phakisa Oceans Economy initiative.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Ansorge, Isabelle J , Brundrit, Geoff , Brundrit, Jean , Dorrington, Rosemary A , Fawcett, Sarah , Gammon, David , Henry, Tahlia , Hermes, Juliet , Hölscher, Beate , d’Hotman, Jethan , Meiklejohn, Ian , Morris, Tammy , Pinto, Izidine , Du Plessis, Marcel , Roman, Raymond , Saunders, Clinton , Shabangu, Fannie W , De Vos, Marc , Walker, David R , Louw, Gavin
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/65539 , vital:28808 , https://doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2016/a0171
- Description: publisher version , From Introduction: Marine science is a highly competitive environment. The need to improve the cohort of South African postgraduates, who would be recognised both nationally and internationally for their scientific excellence, is crucial. It is possible to attract students early on in their careers to this discipline via cutting-edge science, technology and unique field experiences. Through the engagement of students with real-life experiences such as SEAmester, universities supporting marine science postgraduate degree programmes can attract a sustainable throughput of numerically proficient students. By achieving a more quantitative and experienced input into our postgraduate degree programmes, we will, as a scientific community, greatly improve our long-term capabilities to accurately measure, model and predict the impacts of current climate change scenarios. The short-term goal is to attract and establish a cohort of proficient marine and atmospheric science graduates who will contribute to filling the capacity needs of South African marine science as a whole. The SEAmester programme, by involving researchers from across all the relevant disciplines and tertiary institutions, provides an opportunity to build a network of collaborative teaching within the marine field. In doing so, these researchers will foster and strengthen new and current collaborations between historically white and black universities (Figure 1). The long-term objective of SEAmester is to build critical mass within the marine sciences to ensure sustained growth of human capacity in marine science in South Africa – aligning closely with the current DST Research and Development strategies and the Operation Phakisa Oceans Economy initiative.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
South African research in the Southern Ocean: New opportunities but serious challenges
- Treasure, Anne M, Moloney, Coleen, Bester, Marthán N, Findlay, Ken P, Best, Peter B, Cowan, Don A, De Bruyn, P J Nico, Dorrington, Rosemary A, Fagereng, Ake, Froneman, P William, Grantham, Geoff H, Hunt, Brian P V, Meiklejohn, Ian, Pakhomov, Evgeny A, Roychoudhury, Alakendra N, Ryan, Peter G, Smith, Valdon R, Chown, Steven L, Ansorge, Isabelle J
- Authors: Treasure, Anne M , Moloney, Coleen , Bester, Marthán N , Findlay, Ken P , Best, Peter B , Cowan, Don A , De Bruyn, P J Nico , Dorrington, Rosemary A , Fagereng, Ake , Froneman, P William , Grantham, Geoff H , Hunt, Brian P V , Meiklejohn, Ian , Pakhomov, Evgeny A , Roychoudhury, Alakendra N , Ryan, Peter G , Smith, Valdon R , Chown, Steven L , Ansorge, Isabelle J
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/480584 , vital:78457 , https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC133146
- Description: South Africa has a long track record in Southern Ocean and Antarctic research and has recently invested considerable funds in acquiring new infrastructure for ongoing support of this research. This infrastructure includes a new base at Marion Island and a purpose-built ice capable research vessel, which greatly expand research opportunities. Despite this investment, South Africa's standing as a participant in this critical field is threatened by confusion, lack of funding, lack of consultation and lack of transparency. The research endeavour is presently bedevilled by political manoeuvring among groups with divergent interests that too often have little to do with science, while past and present contributors of research are excluded from discussions that aim to formulate research strategy. This state of affairs is detrimental to the country's aims of developing a leadership role in climate change and Antarctic research and squanders both financial and human capital.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Treasure, Anne M , Moloney, Coleen , Bester, Marthán N , Findlay, Ken P , Best, Peter B , Cowan, Don A , De Bruyn, P J Nico , Dorrington, Rosemary A , Fagereng, Ake , Froneman, P William , Grantham, Geoff H , Hunt, Brian P V , Meiklejohn, Ian , Pakhomov, Evgeny A , Roychoudhury, Alakendra N , Ryan, Peter G , Smith, Valdon R , Chown, Steven L , Ansorge, Isabelle J
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/480584 , vital:78457 , https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC133146
- Description: South Africa has a long track record in Southern Ocean and Antarctic research and has recently invested considerable funds in acquiring new infrastructure for ongoing support of this research. This infrastructure includes a new base at Marion Island and a purpose-built ice capable research vessel, which greatly expand research opportunities. Despite this investment, South Africa's standing as a participant in this critical field is threatened by confusion, lack of funding, lack of consultation and lack of transparency. The research endeavour is presently bedevilled by political manoeuvring among groups with divergent interests that too often have little to do with science, while past and present contributors of research are excluded from discussions that aim to formulate research strategy. This state of affairs is detrimental to the country's aims of developing a leadership role in climate change and Antarctic research and squanders both financial and human capital.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- «
- ‹
- 1
- ›
- »