Poster Details
MULTI-MARKER METABARCODING ASSESSMENT OF BIODIVERSITY WITHIN STREAM BIOFILM COMMUNITIES ALONG AN ACID MINE DRAINAGE RECOVERY GRADIENT
In southeastern Ohio, many stream miles have been exposed to acid mine drainage from legacy coal extraction. Reclamation of these streams has been met with varying success with some streams having achieved macroinvertebrate scores indicating good water quality while others have scores indicative of poor quality. In this study, we used four DNA markers and high through put sequencing to assess the biodiversity of the biofilm communities in three streams deemed improved not recovered and recovered and compared them with two unimpacted streams. We used two universal markers (16S and 18S), a marker specific for algae (UPA) and a marker to identify diatom diversity (rbcL). Ordination of the streams based on Bray-Curtis Index showed the unimpacted and recovered streams to be closely related, whereas the not recovered streams were more distance. Results showed a higher cyanobacterial and lower diatom abundance in the not recovered streams compared with the recovered and unimpaired streams. Analysis of the rbcL marker showed the presence of diatom taxa in the unimpaired and recovered streams that have been shown in previous research to indicate high water quality.
Morgan Vis (Primary Presenter/Author), Ohio University, vis-chia@ohio.edu;
Daniel Wolf (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Ohio University, dw845316@ohio.edu;