DOCSLIB.ORG

Probing Saltern Brines with an Oxygen Electrode: What Can We Learn About the Community Metabolism in Hypersaline Systems?

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Probing Saltern Brines with an Oxygen Electrode: What Can We Learn About the Community Metabolism in Hypersaline Systems? life Review Probing Saltern Brines with an Oxygen Electrode: What Can We Learn about the Community Metabolism in Hypersaline Systems? Aharon Oren Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, 91904 Jerusalem, Israel; [email protected]; Tel.: +972-2-658-4951 Academic Editor: David Deamer Received: 5 May 2016; Accepted: 6 June 2016; Published: 8 June 2016 Abstract: We have explored the use of optical oxygen electrodes to study oxygenic photosynthesis and heterotrophic activities in crystallizer brines of the salterns in Eilat, Israel. Monitoring oxygen uptake rates in the dark enables the identification of organic substrates that are preferentially used by the community. Addition of glycerol (the osmotic solute synthesized by Dunaliella) or dihydroxyacetone (produced from glycerol by Salinibacter) enhanced respiration rates. Pyruvate, produced from glycerol or from some sugars by certain halophilic Archaea also stimulated community respiration. Fumarate had a sparing effect on respiration, possibly as many halophilic Archaea can use fumarate as a terminal electron acceptor in respiration. Calculating the photosynthetic activity of Dunaliella by monitoring oxygen concentration changes during light/dark incubations is not straightforward as light also affects respiration of some halophilic Archaea and Bacteria due to action of light-driven proton pumps. When illuminated, community respiration of brine samples in which oxygenic photosynthesis was inhibited by DCMU decreased by ~40%. This effect was interpreted as the result of competition between two energy yielding systems: the bacteriorhodopsin proton pump and the respiratory chain of the prokaryotes. These findings have important implications for the interpretation of other published data on photosynthetic and respiratory activities in hypersaline environments. Keywords: salterns; halophilic; hypersaline; oxygen; Halobacteria; Haloquadratum; Salinibacter; bacteriorhodopsin 1. Introduction Thanks to the recent advances in the methodology of metagenomics and other cultivation- independent molecular methods used in microbial ecology we now have a fairly complete picture, qualitative as well as quantitative, of the microorganisms that inhabit the crystallizer ponds of solar salterns worldwide. The NaCl-saturated brines of crystallizer ponds are typically inhabited by a single primary producer, the unicellular alga Dunaliella salina (Chlorophyceae)[1], and by 107–108 prokaryotes/mL [2–4]. Most of these belong to the archaeal domain: Haloquadratum, Halorubrum, and other members of the class Halobacteria, but also some members of the Bacteria can be found, notably of the genus Salinibacter (Bacteroidetes)[5–7]. Most organisms inhabiting the brines are pigmented pink, red, or orange due to carotenoid pigments: primarily β-carotene in Dunaliella, α-bacterioruberin and derivatives in the Halobacteria, and salinixanthin in Salinibacter [8]. As a result, the waters of saltern crystallizers are generally colored brightly red-pink (Figure1). Retinal-containing membrane-bound proteins such as bacteriorhodopsin and similar proton pumps in the Halobacteria and xanthorhodopsin in Salinibacter may also contribute to the pigmentation. Life 2016, 6, 23; doi:10.3390/life6020023 www.mdpi.com/journal/life Life 2016, 6, 23 2 of 11 Life 2016, 6, 23 2 of 11 Figure 1. A crystallizer pond of Salt of the Earth, Ltd., Eilat, Israel. Figure 1. A crystallizer pond of Salt of the Earth, Ltd., Eilat, Israel. Our understanding of the in situ activities of the different components of the biota of the Ourcrystallizer understanding ponds lags of behind the in situour knowledgeactivities of about the different the community components composition. of the biotaHowever, of the the crystallizer high pondscommunity lags behind densities our knowledge present and about the theeasy community accessibility composition. of most saltern However, pond systems the high make community the densitiessalterns present perfect and objects the for easy basic accessibility studies on ofmicrobia mostl saltern ecology pond at saturating systems salt make concentrations. the salterns They perfect objectsare for convenient basic studies model onsystems microbial to explore ecology basic at ques saturatingtions about salt the concentrations. primary productivity, They arethe overall convenient heterotrophic activity and the possible functions of different carbon sources that support the dense model systems to explore basic questions about the primary productivity, the overall heterotrophic communities of Archaea (>85%–90%) and to lesser extent Bacteria present, and to elucidate the role of activity and the possible functions of different carbon sources that support the dense communities of bacteriorhodopsin and other light-dependent proton pumps in the energy metabolism in the brines. ArchaeaHowever,(>85%–90%) thus far, and the to number lesser extentof suchBacteria studies, present,reviewed and in the to sections elucidate below, the role is surprisingly of bacteriorhodopsin small. and otherI light-dependenthere summarize our proton recent pumps attempts in to the obtain energy quantitative metabolism information in the brines. about these However, processes thus far, the numberin the saltern of such crystallizer studies, reviewedponds of Salt in the of sectionsthe Earth below, Ltd., Eilat, is surprisingly Israel, based small. on measurements of Ichanges here summarize in dissolved our oxygen recent concentrations attempts to in obtain the brine quantitative following different information manipulations. about these Many processes of in thethese saltern experiments crystallizer were ponds performed of Salt by ofstudents the Earth in the Ltd., framework Eilat, Israel,of the basedannual oncourse measurements in marine of changesmicrobiology in dissolved for graduate oxygen concentrationsstudents held in in Eilat. the brineThe results following show differentthat much manipulations. information can Many be of thesegained experiments about the were basic performedprocesses that by drive students the biol inogy the of framework the saltern ponds of the by annual use of optical course oxygen in marine sensors (optodes) and simple experimental systems. microbiology for graduate students held in Eilat. The results show that much information can be gained2. Dissolved about the Oxygen basic processes Concentrations that drive in Crystallizer the biology Brines of the saltern ponds by use of optical oxygen sensors (optodes) and simple experimental systems. The solubility of oxygen and other gases in concentrated brines is greatly decreased compared 2. Dissolvedto the values Oxygen in freshwater Concentrations or in seawater in Crystallizer of the same Brines temperature. In equilibrium with the atmosphere, NaCl-saturated brine of 260 g/kg salinity (~320 g/L dissolved salts) contains about The1.61 solubilitymg/L (50 μ ofM) oxygen dissolved and oxygen other gasesat 25 °C. in concentratedAt 35 °C, a temperature brines is greatly typically decreased found in compared saltern to the valuesbrines induring freshwater the summer or in season, seawater the of valu thee sameis even temperature. lower, around In 1.51 equilibrium mg/L (47 μ withM). These the atmosphere, values NaCl-saturatedmust be compared brine of to 260 8.22 g/kg mg/L salinityand 6.92 (~320 mg/L g/Lfor freshwater dissolved and salts) 6.98 contains and 5.95 about mg/L 1.61for seawater mg/L (50 at µM) dissolved25 °C and oxygen 35 °C, at re 25spectively˝C. At [9,10]. 35 ˝C, a temperature typically found in saltern brines during the summer season,The low the solubility value isof even oxygen lower, in salt-saturated around 1.51 mg/Lbrines (47and µtheM). potentially These values high must heterotrophic be compared activity of the dense biota often result in near-anaerobic conditions in the crystallizer ponds, as the to 8.22 mg/L and 6.92 mg/L for freshwater and 6.98 and 5.95 mg/L for seawater at 25 ˝C and 35 ˝C, (probably little) oxygen produced by Dunaliella is rapidly taken up for respiration by the dense respectively [9,10]. community of heterotrophic Archaea and Bacteria, especially at the high temperatures of such brines Thein tropical low solubility and subtropical of oxygen areas in [2,11]. salt-saturated Based on brinesmeasurements and the by potentially a chemical high method heterotrophic (the Winkler activity of thetitration dense biotain which often molecular result in oxygen near-anaerobic oxidizes Mn(II) conditions to Mn(III) in the which crystallizer in turn ponds, oxidizes as iodide the (probably to little)iodine oxygen which produced is then bytitratedDunaliella with thiosulfate),is rapidly oxygen taken up concentrations for respiration as low by as the 0.50 dense mg/L community (16 μM) of heterotrophic Archaea and Bacteria, especially at the high temperatures of such brines in tropical and subtropical areas [2,11]. Based on measurements by a chemical method (the Winkler titration in which molecular oxygen oxidizes Mn(II) to Mn(III) which in turn oxidizes iodide to iodine which is then Life 2016, 6, 23 3 of 11 titrated with thiosulfate), oxygen concentrations as low as 0.50 mg/L (16 µM) were measured in saltern crystallizer ponds in Spain [12]. A higher value (1.87 mg/L, 58 µM) was found in crystallizer brines of a Bulgarian salt works [13]. The lowest oxygen concentrations encountered in the literature for crystallizer pond waters are probably the values
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Changing Technology of Post Medieval Sea Salt Production in England
    1 Heritage, Uses and Representations of the Sea. Centro de Investigação Transdisiplinar Cultura, Espaço e Memoría (CITCEM) Porto, Faculdade de Letras da Universidade do Porto, 20-22 October 2011. The changing technology of post medieval sea salt production in England Jeremy Greenwood Composition of seawater Sea water contains 3.5% evaporites of which salt (sodium chloride) comprises 77.8%. The remainder is known as bittern as it includes the bitter tasting, aperient and deliquescent sulphates of magnesium (Epsom salt) and sodium (Glauber’s salt) as well as about 11% magnesium chloride. 2 Successful commercial salt making depends on the fractional crystallisation of seawater producing the maximum amount of salt without contamination by bittern salts. As seawater is evaporated, very small amounts of calcium carbonate are precipitated followed by some calcium sulphate. This is followed by the crystallisation of sodium chloride but before this is complete, bitter Epsom salt appears; something that needs to be avoided.1 In Continental Europe, evaporation of sea water is achieved solely by the energy of the wind and sun but this is not possible in the English climate so other techniques were developed. 1 http://www.solarsaltharvesters.com/notes.htm SOLAR SALT ENGINEERING 3 Evaporation vessel Briquetage The earliest known English method of coastal saltmaking has been found in the late Bronze Age. This involved boiling seawater in crude clay dishes supported by clay firebars (briquetage) and was widespread in Europe. This technique continued into the Iron Age and into the Roman period with variations inevitably occurring in the industry, although the dating of saltworks is very problematical.2 Detailed interpretation continues to be a matter of dispute.
    [Show full text]
  • The Role of Stress Proteins in Haloarchaea and Their Adaptive Response to Environmental Shifts
    biomolecules Review The Role of Stress Proteins in Haloarchaea and Their Adaptive Response to Environmental Shifts Laura Matarredona ,Mónica Camacho, Basilio Zafrilla , María-José Bonete and Julia Esclapez * Agrochemistry and Biochemistry Department, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Area, Faculty of Science, University of Alicante, Ap 99, 03080 Alicante, Spain; [email protected] (L.M.); [email protected] (M.C.); [email protected] (B.Z.); [email protected] (M.-J.B.) * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +34-965-903-880 Received: 31 July 2020; Accepted: 24 September 2020; Published: 29 September 2020 Abstract: Over the years, in order to survive in their natural environment, microbial communities have acquired adaptations to nonoptimal growth conditions. These shifts are usually related to stress conditions such as low/high solar radiation, extreme temperatures, oxidative stress, pH variations, changes in salinity, or a high concentration of heavy metals. In addition, climate change is resulting in these stress conditions becoming more significant due to the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. The most relevant damaging effect of these stressors is protein denaturation. To cope with this effect, organisms have developed different mechanisms, wherein the stress genes play an important role in deciding which of them survive. Each organism has different responses that involve the activation of many genes and molecules as well as downregulation of other genes and pathways. Focused on salinity stress, the archaeal domain encompasses the most significant extremophiles living in high-salinity environments. To have the capacity to withstand this high salinity without losing protein structure and function, the microorganisms have distinct adaptations.
    [Show full text]
  • Characterization of the Microbial Population Inhabiting a Solar Saltern Pond of the Odiel Marshlands (SW Spain)
    marine drugs Article Characterization of the Microbial Population Inhabiting a Solar Saltern Pond of the Odiel Marshlands (SW Spain) Patricia Gómez-Villegas, Javier Vigara and Rosa León * Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, Marine International Campus of Excellence (CEIMAR), University of Huelva, 21071 Huelva, Spain; [email protected] (P.G.-V.); [email protected] (J.V.) * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +34-959-219-951 Received: 28 June 2018; Accepted: 8 September 2018; Published: 12 September 2018 Abstract: The solar salterns located in the Odiel marshlands, in southwest Spain, are an excellent example of a hypersaline environment inhabited by microbial populations specialized in thriving under conditions of high salinity, which remains poorly explored. Traditional culture-dependent taxonomic studies have usually under-estimated the biodiversity in saline environments due to the difficulties that many of these species have to grow at laboratory conditions. Here we compare two molecular methods to profile the microbial population present in the Odiel saltern hypersaline water ponds (33% salinity). On the one hand, the construction and characterization of two clone PCR amplified-16S rRNA libraries, and on the other, a high throughput 16S rRNA sequencing approach based on the Illumina MiSeq platform. The results reveal that both methods are comparable for the estimation of major genera, although massive sequencing provides more information about the less abundant ones. The obtained data indicate that Salinibacter ruber is the most abundant genus, followed by the archaea genera, Halorubrum and Haloquadratum. However, more than 100 additional species can be detected by Next Generation Sequencing (NGS). In addition, a preliminary study to test the biotechnological applications of this microbial population, based on its ability to produce and excrete haloenzymes, is shown.
    [Show full text]
  • Warren, J. K., 2010, Evaporites Through Time: Tectonic, Climatic And
    Earth-Science Reviews 98 (2010) 217–268 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Earth-Science Reviews journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/earscirev Evaporites through time: Tectonic, climatic and eustatic controls in marine and nonmarine deposits John K. Warren Petroleum Geoscience Program, Department of Geology, Chulalongkorn University, 254 Phayathai Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand article info abstract Article history: Throughout geological time, evaporite sediments form by solar-driven concentration of a surface or Received 25 February 2009 nearsurface brine. Large, thick and extensive deposits dominated by rock-salt (mega-halite) or anhydrite Accepted 10 November 2009 (mega-sulfate) deposits tend to be marine evaporites and can be associated with extensive deposits of Available online 22 November 2009 potash salts (mega-potash). Ancient marine evaporite deposition required particular climatic, eustatic or tectonic juxtapositions that have occurred a number of times in the past and will so again in the future. Keywords: Ancient marine evaporites typically have poorly developed Quaternary counterparts in scale, thickness, evaporite deposition tectonics and hydrology. When mega-evaporite settings were active within appropriate arid climatic and marine hydrological settings then huge volumes of seawater were drawn into the subsealevel evaporitic nonmarine depressions. These systems were typical of regions where the evaporation rates of ocean waters were at plate tectonics their maximum, and so were centred on the past latitudinal equivalents of today's horse latitudes. But, like economic geology today's nonmarine evaporites, the location of marine Phanerozoic evaporites in zones of appropriate classification adiabatic aridity and continentality extended well into the equatorial belts. Exploited deposits of borate, sodium carbonate (soda-ash) and sodium sulfate (salt-cake) salts, along with evaporitic sediments hosting lithium-rich brines require continental–meteoric not marine-fed hydrologies.
    [Show full text]
  • Saltern Evaporation Ponds As Model Systems for the Study of Primary Production Processes Under Hypersaline Conditions
    Vol. 56: 193–204, 2009 AQUATIC MICROBIAL ECOLOGY Printed September 2009 doi: 10.3354/ame01297 Aquat Microb Ecol Published online June 30, 2009 Contribution to AME Special 2 ‘Progress and perspectives in aquatic primary productivity’ OPENPEN ACCESSCCESS REVIEW Saltern evaporation ponds as model systems for the study of primary production processes under hypersaline conditions Aharon Oren Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, The Institute of Life Sciences, and the Moshe Shilo Minerva Center for Marine Biogeochemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel ABSTRACT: Multi-pond solar salterns, which are used worldwide for salt production along tropical and subtropical coastal areas, present an environment with increasing salt concentrations, from sea- water to NaCl saturation. Characteristic salt-adapted microbial communities are found along the salinity gradient. In ponds of intermediate salinity (100 to 250 g l–1), most of the primary production occurs in benthic microbial mats dominated by different types of unicellular and filamentous Cyanobacteria (Aphanothece, Microcoleus, Phormidium and others), sometimes in association with diatoms. In crystallizer ponds, the unicellular green alga Dunaliella is the sole primary producer that lives in association with dense communities of heterotrophic halophilic Archaea that color the brines red. This basic pattern is common to all saltern systems, in spite of local variations in climate and nutrient availability. Photosynthetic activities of benthic cyanobacterial mats in the evaporation ponds and of endoevaporitic microbial communities within the gypsum crust that precipitates at intermediate salinities have been extensively studied in salterns at different locations, using oxygen microelectrodes and other techniques adapted to the study of benthic communities. These environ- ments are generally highly productive, although most of the oxygen produced during daytime by the Cyanobacteria is recycled within the mats rather than exchanged with the overlying water and the atmosphere.
    [Show full text]
  • Identifying and Modeling Evaporite Facies Using Well Logs
    Identifying and Modeling Evaporite Facies using Well Logs: Characterising the Devonian Elk Point Group salt giant by Elaine Loretta Lord A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences University of Alberta © Elaine Loretta Lord, 2020 Abstract Over the last century, study of evaporite deposits has evolved from modeling chemical successions and studying outcrops of insoluble material, to sedimentologic study of drill core paired with geochemical analysis. In this thesis, I add to published scientific literature on the Prairie Evaporite Formation, a succession of Middle-Devonian evaporate deposits in the Central Alberta Basin of Alberta, Canada. I combine new well log interpretation with sedimentologic studies in the literature to define six new evaporite facies in the Prairie Evaporite Formation, and present a new facies identification scheme that correlates wireline log signatures to core log data. Wireline log data from 994 wells and logs of seven cores in the Central Alberta Basin are compiled to assess stratigraphic relationships, lithological facies, textural features, and insoluble marker beds within the Prairie Evaporite Formation. This analysis identifies seven unique facies sequences within each cycle of the Prairie Evaporite in the Central Alberta Basin. I have produced 3D-facies models for each cycle in order to map facies distribution across the Central Alberta Basin and assess the change in depositional environments through time and across the basin. I infer water cyclicity and climate in the basin during the middle Devonian based on these depositional environments: modeled facies reflect a nearshore environment in the west and southwest Central Alberta Basin and an increasingly shallow and concentrated epeiric sea basinward.
    [Show full text]
  • Artisanal Salt Production in Aveiro/Portugal - an Ecofriendly Process Carolina M Rodrigues1*, Ana Bio1, Francisco Amat2 and Natividade Vieira1,3
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Digital.CSIC Rodrigues et al. Saline Systems 2011, 7:3 http://www.salinesystems.org/content/7/1/3 SALINE SYSTEMS REVIEW Open Access Artisanal salt production in Aveiro/Portugal - an ecofriendly process Carolina M Rodrigues1*, Ana Bio1, Francisco Amat2 and Natividade Vieira1,3 Abstract Solar salinas are man-made systems exploited for the extraction of salt, by solar and wind evaporation of seawater. Salt production achieved by traditional methods is associated with landscapes and environmental and patrimonial values generated throughout history. Since the mid-twentieth century, this activity has been facing a marked decline in Portugal, with most salinas either abandoned or subjected to destruction, making it necessary to find a strategy to reverse this trend. It is, however, possible to generate revenue from salinas at several levels, not merely in terms of good quality salt production, but also by obtaining other products that can be commercialized, or by exploring their potential for tourism, and as research facilities, among others. Furthermore, with an adequate management, biodiversity can be restored to abandoned salinas, which constitute important feeding and breeding grounds for resident and migratory aquatic birds, many of which are protected by European Community Directives. The aims of this manuscript are to present a brief overview on the current state of sea salt exploitation in Portugal and to stress the importance of recovering these salinas for the conservation of this particular environment, for the regional economy, the scientific community and the general public. The Aveiro salina complex is presented in detail, to exemplify salina structure and functioning, as well as current problems and potential solutions for artisanal salinas.
    [Show full text]
  • Halophilic Archaea Cultured from Ancient Halite, Death Valley
    Environmental Microbiology (2010) 12(2), 440–454 doi:10.1111/j.1462-2920.2009.02086.x Halophilic Archaea cultured from ancient halite, Death Valley, Californiaemi_2086 440..454 Brian A. Schubert,1*† Tim K. Lowenstein,1* deposits (Reiser and Tasch, 1960; Dombrowski, 1963; Michael N. Timofeeff1 and Matthew A. Parker2 Norton et al., 1993; Grant et al., 1998; Stan-Lotter et al., Departments of 1Geological Sciences and 1999; McGenity et al., 2000; Vreeland et al., 2000; 2007; Environmental Studies and 2Biological Sciences, State Stan-Lotter et al., 2002; Mormile et al., 2003; Gruber University of New York, Binghamton, NY 13902, USA. et al., 2004). Mormile and colleagues (2003), for example, isolated Halobacterium salinarum from a single fluid inclu- sion in a 100 000-year-old halite crystal from Death Valley, Summary California, and concluded it was an ancient prokaryote. Halophilic Archaea cultured from ancient fluid inclu- Another cultured halophilic archaeon, Halococcus salifo- sions in a 90-m-long (0- to 100 000-year-old) salt core dinae, found in halite from subsurface mines in England, from Death Valley, California, demonstrate survival Germany and Austria was interpreted by Stan-Lotter and of bacterial cells in subsurface halite for up to colleagues (2002) as ‘remnants of populations’ living in 34 000 years. Five enrichment cultures, representing Permian (250–300 million-year-old) brines that once three genera of halophilic Archaea (Halorubrum, covered western Europe. These studies collectively con- Natronomonas and Haloterrigena), were obtained clude that prokaryotes can survive in halite for periods of from five surface-sterilized halite crystals exclusively thousands to hundreds of millions of years.
    [Show full text]
  • Great Saltworks of Salins-Les-Bains Grassias, I., Ph
    Literature consulted (selection): Great Saltworks of Salins-les-Bains Grassias, I., Ph. Markarian, & P. Petrequin, O. Weller, De pierre et de sel. Les salines de Salins-les-Bains, Salins-les-Bains, Musée (France) des techniques et cultures comtoises, 2006. Technical Evaluation Mission: 3–6 September 2008. No 203bis Additional information requested and received from the State Party: A letter was sent to the State Party on 10 December 2008 requesting the State Party to: Official name as proposed – Review the buffer zone for Arc-et-Senans and include by the State Party: From the Great Saltworks of the brine pipeline; Salins-les-Bains to the Royal – Provide assurances regarding the adoption of the Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans, the production of open-pan management plan and the implementation of the joint management structure for the two sites; and salt – Review the urban development of Salins-les-Bains in Location: Franche-Comté Region, the immediate vicinity of the Saltworks and the Doubs and Jura historical enclosure with the visual impact of the Département, casino. France The State Party sent a reply (80 pages) dated 27 February Brief description: 2009. An analysis of this documentation is included in this evaluation. The Great Saltworks of Salins-les-Bains have exploited the brine extracted from the considerable underground deposits Date of ICOMOS approval of this report: 10 March 2009. since the Middle Ages and, in all likelihood, since before that. It is one of the rarer testimonies to the production of open-pan salt (crystallization by heating), with its 2. THE PROPERTY underground and above-ground buildings and technical facilities still in place.
    [Show full text]
  • Comparison of Bacterial Diversity from Solar Salterns and a Simulated Laboratory Study
    Ann Microbiol (2015) 65:995–1005 DOI 10.1007/s13213-014-0944-6 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Comparison of bacterial diversity from solar salterns and a simulated laboratory study Kabilan Mani & Sivaraman Chandrasekaran & Bhakti B. Salgaonkar & Srikanth Mutnuri & Judith M. Bragança Received: 8 January 2014 /Accepted: 14 July 2014 /Published online: 2 August 2014 # Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg and the University of Milan 2014 Abstract Bacterial diversity in solar salterns and a simulated Introduction solar saltern under laboratory conditions was studied. The two systems were compared at the pre-salt harvesting phase and Hypersaline environments like salt lakes and solar salterns are salt harvesting phase using Denaturing Gradient Gel Electro- extreme ecosystems in which the change in salinity is the phoresis (DGGE). Bacterial composition was dominated by dictating factor which determines microbial diversity at any Gammaproteobacteria and more specifically with members of given point of time (Rodríguez-Valera et al. 1985). Prokary- Alteromonas, Vibrio, Pseudomonas, Tolumonas, otic diversity in any ecosystem is an important factor to be Marinobacter, Pseudoalteromonas and novel uncultured bac- considered because of its role in nutrient turnover, element teria. The Shannon–Weaver index (H), Simpson diversity recycling and as a potential hub for recovery of microorgan- index (D) and Equitability index (E) values showed that isms for industrially important metabolic products (Garcia- salterns can support a wide range of microbes during the Martinez et al. 1999; Lorenz and Eck 2005). Solar salterns pre-salt harvesting phase (3–4 % salinity) when compared to serve as a good model for studying the changes in biodiversity the salt harvesting phase (21–29 % salinity).
    [Show full text]
  • Brazilian Solar Saltworks
    De Medeiros Rocha et al. Aquatic Biosystems 2012, 8:8 http://www.aquaticbiosystems.org/content/8/1/8 AQUATIC BIOSYSTEMS REVIEW Open Access Brazilian solar saltworks - ancient uses and future possibilities Renato De Medeiros Rocha1, Diógenes FS Costa1,2*, Milton A Lucena-Filho1, Rodolfo M Bezerra1, David HM Medeiros1, Antonio M Azevedo-Silva1, Cristian N Araújo1 and Lauro Xavier-Filho3 Abstract Coastal solar saltworks of Brazil are exploited for sea salt, which becomes progressively concentrated by evaporation. This study aimed to review the current and new potential uses of these systems, in order to provide more dynamic for this activity. The first evaporation ponds are also used for artisanal fisheries, ensuring the livelihood of many families. All the brine rich in secondary salts (bittern) can be widely used by the chemical industry, while the Brazil shows an incipient production of “flower of salt”, a salt with distinct characteristics with higher market value than sodium chloride. On the other hand, the saltponds have a high potential for management and obtaining of large populations of Artemia spp., purifying the brine through the action as biological filter. This microcrustacean occurs naturally in intermediate salinity ponds, being commonly used in aquaculture. Species of microalgae and halobacteria found in the saltworks are employed for extraction of beta- carotene and glycerol, used in an extensive list of products with high commercial value. These ecosystems represent refuge zones for many species of migratory birds, becoming imperative to promote the conservation of these hypersaline wetlands. Keywords: Wetland, Salt production, Management, Brazil, Conservation Background for 95% of sea salt produced in the country and exported, Coastal solar saltworks are anthropogenic supratidal habi- directly influencing the local and regional economies by tats exploited for sea salt, which becomes progressively creating jobs and payment of taxes [4].
    [Show full text]
  • Halobacterium Identification in Saltworks of Gran Canaria (Canary Is- Lands, Spain)
    Journal of Fisheries Science | Volume 02 | Issue 01 | March 2020 Journal of Fisheries Science https://ojs.bilpublishing.com/index.php/jfs ARTICLE Halobacterium Identification in Saltworks of Gran Canaria (Canary Is- lands, Spain) Pilar Garcia-Jimenez* Marina Carrasco-Acosta Sascha Hettmann Department of Biology, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Estudios Ambientales y Recursos Naturales i-UNAT, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Campus de Tafira, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 35017, Las Palmas ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Article history This work analyzes bacterial communities present in evaporation ponds Received: 11 November 2019 of solar salterns of Gran Canaria and reveals specific organisms through molecular techniques. Solar salterns are protected areas in Canary Islands Accepted: 31 December 2019 where salt is produced from sea water by solarand windpowered evapora- Published Online: 28 February 2020 tion. Salt was an important product for ancient islanders who used it for a broad field of purposes, but also has a great importance in recent time for its Keywords: implications in the island economy. Based on amplifications with specific Bacteria primers for 16S ribosomal DNA (16S rDNA) and subsequent nested-PCR approaches, different amplicons were obtained, and analyzed in silico. A 16S rDNA taxonomic classification was carried out through phylogenetic trees. Results Halobacteria revealed different bacteria according to the evaporation grade of crystallizer Halobacterium ponds in saline works. It is worthstanding the presence of the genus Halo- bacterium in all crystallizer ponds. This opens an interesting framework for Solar Saltern Pond further studies and continuative molecular characterization approaches of bacterial communities in solar salterns of Gran Canaria.
    [Show full text]