Bacterial communities are sensitive indicators of contaminant stress.

摘要: With many environments worldwide experiencing at least some degree of anthropogenic modification, there is great urgency to identify sensitive indicators ecosystem stress. Estuarine organisms are particularly vulnerable contaminants. This study presents bacterial communities as contaminant Sediments were collected from multiple sites within inner and outer zones three heavily modified relatively unmodified estuaries. Bacterial censused using Automated Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analysis analysed for a suite metal PAH Shifts in both community composition diversity showed strong associations with sediment concentrations, metals. Importantly, these changes discernable environmental variation inherent highly complex estuarine environments. Moreover, was limited. allowed differences between sites, estuaries be explained by variables interest such contaminants that vary between, but not individual sites.