Ardra profiles of bacteria and archaea in mangrove sediments with different levels of contamination in the estuarine complex of Paranaguá, Brazil

The mangrove's sediments from the coastal areas under human activities may contain significant contaminations by hydrocarbons, even when there are no visual evidences of it. The microorganisms are essential to these ecosystems, especially in the control of their chemical environment. Sediment samples were collected in two regions under different environment conditions (pristine and contaminated) of the Paranaguá Estuarine Complex (Paranaguá Bay and Laranjeiras Bay), Brazil. Aliphatic hydrocarbons were determined by the GC-FID to assess the status of contamination of the studied areas. The total DNA was extracted from these samples. The 16S rRNA gene was amplified by the PCR reactions with the pair of primers 21F and 958R for the archaeal domain, and 27F and 1492R for the bacterial domain. Comparisons of communities were made by the ARDRA technique, using the HinfI restriction enzyme. The phosphate concentration showed significant differences between the two regions. The aliphatic hydrocarbons analysis showed the presence of unresolved complex mixture (UCM), an indicator of oil contamination, in the samples from the Paranaguá Bay, which was corroborated by the concentration of total aliphatic hydrocarbons. The ARDRA profile indicated that the structure of archaeal and bacterial communities of the sampled areas was very similar. Therefore, the anthropogenic influences in the Paranaguá Bay showed to be not sufficient to produce disturbances in the prokaryotic dominant groups.

Escherichia coli in the surface waters and in oysters of two cultivations of Guaratuba Bay - Paraná - Brazil

The present work aimed to evaluate the contamination of Escherichia coli in the surface waters and oysters from two cultivations of Guaratuba Bay and to analyze the correlation patterns among the concentrations of E. coli in the waters and in the oysters with the local physical-chemical parameters. Samples were collected in the spring of 2007 and summer, autumn and winter of 2008 from two points of the bay (internal point and external point). From each cultivation and sampling period, 18 oysters were collected. The samples of surface water were collected for the measurement of physical-chemical parameters (pH, salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, seston, particulate organic matter) and quantification of E. coli. The surface water analyzed in the summer presented the largest most probable number of E. coli, (1,659.22 MPN.100 ml-1 and 958,55 MPN.100 ml-1 at external and internal points, respectively. The oysters from the internal point presented more E. coli, except in the winter sampling. The largest contamination was observed in the spring, at the internal point (979,78 MPN.g-1). The Principal Components Analysis showed direct correlation among the amount of E. coli in the oysters and in the surface water.

Short-term variability of bacterioplankton in the maximum turbidity zone in the Paranaguá Bay, Southern Brazil, and its relationship with environmental variables

In this work, the density of bacterioplankton, bacterial biomass and environmental variables were monitored in two seasons (summer and winter), two times each month (spring tide and neap tide sampling), over a 12 h period, comprising a tidal cycle (semidiurnal), from subsurface and bottom waters, in a fixed station in the Estuarine Turbidity Maximum Zone (ETMZ) of Paranaguá Bay, Brazil. The data were treated with multivariate analyses methods in order to indentify the key controlling factors of the bacterial community dynamics. The microbial community seemed to be structured by a close relationship with the nutrients concentration, mainly by total phosphorous and nitrate. Regardless of variations throughout the tidal cycles, free-living bacteria had a dominant role on the Paranaguá's Bay ETMZ.

Evaluation of the water quality of tidal creeks of Pontal do Paraná, Paraná, Brazil

The aim of this wat was to evaluate the water quality in four tidal creeks of Paraná, Brazil, with different anthropic influences. Samples were collected every three months. Temperature, salinity, pH, alkalinity, total CO2, dissolved O2, nitrite, nitrate, N-ammoniacal, phosphate, silicate, particulate suspended matter, humic matter, total chlorophyll, total and fecal coliform bacteria of surface water were measured in each sample and compared. For all the stations water temperature was lower in winter, but ranged within typically subtropical values. Salinity (7 - 25) and pH (7.08 - 7.91) were higher in Perequê tidal creek indicating that only this tidal creek was strongly influenced by the nearby ocean waters. Lower dissolved O2, reaching anoxic levels along with higher phosphate and N-ammoniacal concentrations and higher total (<200 - 160,000 MPN 100 ml-1) and thermotolerant coliforms (<200 - 50,000 MPN 100 ml-1) in Olho d´Água suggested euthrophication, especially in summer when rainfall was higher and tourism was at its peak. Perequê, Penedo and Barranco Creeks were characterized as meso- and oligotrophic environments.

Foi objetivo da presente pesquisa, avaliar a qualidade da água de quatro gamboas do Paraná, Brasil, que sofrem influências antrópicas distintas. Em cinco coletas trimestrais, foram obtidas, as seguintes variáveis em águas superficiais: temperatura, salinidade, pH, alcalinidade, dióxido de carbono, oxigênio dissolvido, nitrito, nitrato, N-amoniacal, fosfato, silicato, material particulado em suspensão, substâncias húmicas, clorofila total, coliformes totais e coliformes termotolerantes. Os resultados mostraram que a temperatura da água apresentou características tipicamente subtropicais com valores significativamente menores no inverno em todas as estações. A salinidade (7 - 25‰) e o pH (7,08 - 7,91) mais elevados, registrados na Gamboa Perequê, indicaram que somente este curso d´água é influenciado pelo mar adjacente. As quantidades baixas de oxigênio dissolvido, chegando a anoxia, altas de fosfato (8,11 - 208,11 µM), N-amoniacal (0,90 - 75,33 µM), coliformes totais (<200 - 160.000 NMP 100 mL-1) e coliformes termotolerantes (<200 - 50.000 NMP 100 mL-1) observadas na Gamboa Olho d´Água indicam que esta apresenta características típicas de eutrofização, principalmente no verão, época de maior pluviosidade e maior fluxo de turistas na região. As gamboas Perequê, Penedo e Barranco podem ser caracterizadas como gamboas meso- e oligotróficas.

Offshore distribution patterns of the cyanobacterium Trichodesmium erythraeum ehrenberg and associated phyto- and bacterioplankton in the southern Atlantic coast ( Paraná, Brazil )

O propósito principal da presente pesquisa foi investigar as florações de Trichodesmium erythraeum na plataforma continental interna do Estado do Paraná, Brasil. Foram medidas, em águas de superfície a temperatura, salinidade, bactérias totais, biomassa bacteriana, clorofila-a, densidade fitoplanctônica, densidade das cianobactérias Anabaena sp., Merismopedia sp. e T. erythraeum. Ao contrário dos dinoflagelados, cuja abundância foi relativamente constante em todas as estações, as diatomáceas cêntricas e penadas, Anabaena sp. e Merismopedia sp. foram mais abundantes até a isóbata dos 15 m. A densidade de bactérias totais também foi relativamente homogênea na área amostrada, o que sugere que as florações de T. erythraeum não se encontravam em fase senescente. Os resultados confirmam que T. erythraeum é capaz de sobreviver em condições ambientais relativamente inóspitas devido à sua capacidade de fixar nitrogênio e efetuar a fotossíntese em altas intensidades de luz.

Bacterioplancton in different tides of the Pereque tidal creek, Pontal do Sul, Paraná, Brazil

The influence of tidal phase on bacteria abundance in surface waters was studied in five stations along the Perequê tidal creek (Paraná State, Brazil), at spring and neap low and high tides in July 1999. The stations were located from the mouth (St.1) to the creek's head (St. 5). The following parameters were analyzed: salinity, temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, total carbon dioxide, seston, particulate organic matter, pluviosity, chlorophyll "a", total heterotrophic bacteria, bacterial biomass, cultivable heterotrophic aerobic halophilic and halophobic bacteria, total coliforms and Escherichia coli. The results showed that the highest values of salinity, pH and dissolved oxygen at stations 1 to 4 were registered during the spring high tide. The amount of total heterotrophic bacteria was directly proportional to seston and chlorophyl values at stations 2 and 3 during low tide of July 28, and at station 5 during high tide of the same day. The values of cultivable heterotrophic aerobic halophilic and halophobic bacteria, total coliforms and E. coli, were directly correlated with particulate organic matter and pluviosity. The largest of these values were registered during the neap low tide of July 6. This period was characterized by high precipitation, which may have influenced the bacterial number variation. During the neap high tide and, sporadically, during the neap and spring low tide, the lowest values of total heterotrophic bacteria and bacterial biomass were registered. The results showed great influence of the tide on the bacteria at stations 1 to 4, but not at station 5.

Spatial distribution and temporal variability of heterotrophic bacteria in the sediments of Paranaguá and Antonina bays, Paraná, Brazil

The temporal and spatial varability of heterotrophic bacteria was analyzed in sandy, sandy-sit and silty sediments of Paranaguá and Antonina Bays (SE Brazil). Samples were taken from seven stations along a salinity gradient, from the Paranaguá Bay access to Corisco Island in Antonina Bay, between November 1985 and November 1986. The results were compared with deep-water salinity,pH temperature, dissolved oxygen and rainfall. ZoBell 2216E, at the salinities 0(0/00) and 32(0/00), was used as culture media. Principal component analysis showed that the concentration of heterotrophic bacteria was consistently lower in sandy sediments near the entrance of the Paranaguá Bay. Otherwise, the silty sedimants did not differ significantly from the other sediments. Highest halophilic levels were recorded at the mouth of Maciel tidal creek. These results suggest that the amount of bacteria, in the region, is not related to sediment grain size but to currents speed which may benefit or not the organic matter deposition. Non halophile and halotolerant bacteria can be limited by high salinity. Contrary to observations in the water column, high pluviosity did not influence the heterotrophic bacteria number in the sediment from the studied area.