Bacterial biofilms on kelp
What kind of microbial community is associated with the kelp forests along Norway's coast? What is it doing there? How does it affect the kelp forest community? Recent PhD graduate Mia Bengtsson has been finding out more.
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“A substantial part of the Norwegian coast is lined with underwater forests of the kelp Laminaria hyperborea. This kelp is an important natural resource, and provides shelter or a growth substrate for many species of fish, invertebrates and seaweeds. Knowledge of the biology of L. hyperborean and of the ecology of the rich kelp forests it creates is therefore essential for understanding coastal productivity and biodiversity in Norway.
Marine bacteria drive carbon cycling in the world’s oceans. Bacteria living in kelp forests contribute to this important process. By utilising kelp-derived substances these bacteria form the basis for the food web and make kelp primary production available to larger organisms. As such, they may be critical to sustaining the diverse animal communities found in help forests.
However, little is known about the microbial community associated with kelp forests. Mia Bengtsson, a PhD student associated with CGB, recently successfully defended her PhD thesis. It aimed to address this gap in knowledge by revealing the identity, abundance and diversity of bacteria on the surfaces of L. hyperborean in both time and space and thereby addressing their contribution to kelp forest carbon cycling.” (paraphrased from Bengtsson’s thesis introduction)
