Motility Patterns of Beggiatoa and Phormidium corallyticum in Black Band Disease
Viehman TS and Richardson LL. 2003. Motility Patterns of Beggiatoa and Phormidium corallyticum in Black Band Disease. Miami, FL
Black band disease of corals is composed of a microbial consortium that generates and maintains an active sulfur cycle. The consortium includes the cyanobacterium Phormidium corallyticum, the culfide-oxidizing bacterium Beggiatoa spp., sulfate-reducing bacteria, and other microbes. Together the metabolic processes of these bacteria produce vertical gradients of oxygen and sulfide, within the 1 mm thick band, to form a migrating oxygen/sulfide interface. Beggiatoa are typically located at oxygen/sulfide interface environments as a result of negative photo-, sulfido-, and aerotaxes. However, Beggiatoa are commonly found on the surface of black band in an environment that is aerobic and highly illuminated. Vertical migrations of black band Beggiatoa and Phormidium were investigated in situ under varying light intensities. Phormidium dominated the surface of the band only under low light levels, wheras Beggiatoa spp. was present on the surface along with Phormidium during high light. This unusual pattern differs from other Beggiatoa/cyanobacterial mat systems.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Viehman, T.; Richardson, L.
- Date of Issue
- 2003
- Units
- SFCN
- Keywords
- Black band disease, Coral, Cyanobacterium, Metabolic Processes, Microbial Consortium, Microbial Migrations