| Sulfur-cycling microbial mats found around near-shore hydrothermal vents at White-Point, Palos Verdes are highly diverse communities that show variation in community structure over small spatial scales. This study investigated the within-site variability of the mats by comparing community structure, using 16S rRNA gene sequences, between mat samples collected in the intertidal and subtidal habitats at two different time points; March and June of 2015. The mats were dominated by two sulfur-oxidizers Sulfurovum and Arcobacter. Analysis showed that many of the same microbes were found across sample types; however, mat community structure was significantly different between the intertidal and subtidal habitats and between the two intertidal time points. Changes in community structure correlated to different environmental conditions across the four sample types, suggesting that community structure is driven by environmental selection over dispersal capabilities within this vent site. |
