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| The DNA fingerprints and their relationship to community structure of phytoplankton in Daya Bay |
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Abstract Surface water was collected from Daya Bay, South China Sea in May and June, 2012. The DNA fingerprints of phytoplankton extracted from these water samples were analyzed using PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) technique; meanwhile the phytoplankton were examined and counted under light microscope. The results showed that the species richness of phytoplankton was high with a total of 72 species. The numbers of DNA fingerprint were also high with 26 and 28 in May and June, respectively. The fingerprint numbers were generally much lower than species richness; however, both showed similar variation pattern at different stations when excluding species with percentage less than 0.1%. This similarity indicates that the DNA fingerprints largely reflect the composition of dominant phytoplankton, which may have shielded the minority group during the PCR-DGGE process. Cluster analysis of DNA fingerprints and phytoplankton community similarly revealed a separation between the eutrophic, nearshore stations and those offshore stations. The phytoplankton community in the Daya Bay is dominated by diatoms, but attention should be paid to the abundant occurrences of potentially harmful species of dinoflagellate and cyanobacteria at some stations. This study demonstrates that the PCR-DGGE technique is applicable in analyzing phytoplankton community structure, though microscopic morphology still remains one of the most reliable methods.
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Received: 20 July 2013
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