mar580 - Profile Module Microbial ecology of marine sediments (Complete module description)

The students know how to take samples from marine habitats and characterise those biogeochemically and microbiologically. Furthermore, students learn to collect and analyse porewater, determine total cell counts and quantify groups of organisms by molecular methods. Also cultivation of different physiological groups of bacteria will be performed. Finally, scientific results will be presented by the students in a seminar presentation and discussed in a scientific protocol.

“SE/PR Microbial ecology of marine sediments”: The physiological diversity of microorganisms and their spatial distribution within marine sediments are demonstrated according to chemical and physical parameters. Different physiological groups are analysed along a sediment column taken at the beach site of the island “Spiekeroog”, which is sampled at the beginning of the course. At this high-energy beach, a submarine groundwater discharge is present, which leads to changing redox and salinity gradients. Therefore, especially anaerobic processes and the influence of seawater infiltration to the beach sediment is investigated. Thus, for example nitrate, sulfate and methane concentrations are measured in porewaters. As microbiological parameters, total cell numbers are counted and the numbers of archaea and bacteria as well as specific physiological groups are determined by using key genes targeted in quantitative PCR (qPCR). Furthermore, every group of students will specifically enrich representatives of a specific phylogenetic group and monitor growth and activity over time. During the accompanying seminar, each participant will give a short talk regarding the metabolic processes, ecology, physiology of a physiologic group. All the data and observations of the individual groups will be combined at the end of the course to provide an overall picture of microbial diversity and the occurrence of the different physiological groups corresponding to geochemical gradients.

Announced during the course.

One assessment of examination:
Portfolio: Protocol (100 %), seminar presentation (no mark)

Active participation: Active and documented participation in practical courses (labs, exercises, seminars, field trips) and courses. These include e.g. the delivery of exercises, writing a lab report or seminar presentations according to the advice of the course supervisor.