BIODIVERSITY OF HIGH SALINITY SALTERNS IN SOUTHWEST PUERTO RICO

A variety of organisms live within the hypersaline environments of both the active and derelict salterns in southwest Puerto Rico. The stable, tropical conditions in these habitats favor the establishment of steady microbial communities. The unique biocenoses found in salterns are comprised of halophilic organisms including fungi, bacteria, archaea, and algae, each playing a crucial role in nutrient cycling and organic matter decomposition. Little is known about the microbial composition of these extreme biotopes. The fungal assemblage, in particular, is not well characterized. Understanding the biodiversity of Puerto Rican salterns will provide many benefits. High biodiversity can indicate a stable, healthy ecosystem and resilience to changes or stressors. Many organisms in high-salinity environments have developed unique biochemical pathways to survive the harsh conditions. Enzymes from these organisms can be valuable in biotechnology and industry, with potential applications in medicine, biofuels, and agriculture. Saltern ecosystems are sensitive to environmental disruptions, making their population dynamics valuable indicators of broader ecological shifts due to climate change. Changes in microbial diversity, for example, can signal alterations in temperature, salinity, and other environmental factors. We will use molecular phylogenetic approaches to understand the process in the kingdom Fungi. Time series water samples from representative salterns in the Puerto Rican Southwest will be collected and the 18S rRNA will be sequenced and matched to public databases. The water samples will also be used to inoculate media of varying salinities to determine culturability and compare the diversity of lab cultures to environmental samples.

Presentation Preference: Poster

Primary Presenter: Bianca Rojas, University of Puerto Rico (biancarojasrivera1@gmail.com)

Authors:

Bianca Rojas, University of Mayaguez  (bianca.rojas@upr.edu)

Nikolaos Schizas, University of Mayaguez  (nikolaos.schizas@upr.edu)

Brent Petersen, University of Mayaguez  (brent.petersen@upr.edu)