Ecology and diversity of cyanobacteria in changing ecosystems in the Eastern Adriatic area

doctoral thesis

• Title (croatian): Ekologija i raznolikost cijanobakterija u promjenjivim ekosustavima u području istočnog Jadrana
• Author: Anamarija Kolda
• Mentor: Damir Kapetanović (mentor)
• Committee member: Marija Gligora Udovič (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Ines Sviličić Petrić (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Sunčica Bosak (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Science; (Department of Geology); Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2020-09-29, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: NATURAL SCIENCES; Interdisciplinary Natural Sciences; Marine Science
• Universal decimal classification (UDC): 55 - Geology. Meteorology. Hydrology

Abstract

Cyanobacteria are ubiquitous bacteria that evolved photosynthesis and therefore made life on Earth possible
by creating aerobic atmosphere more than 2 billion years ago. As primary colonizers, they have adapted to
diverse types of environments, and primordial as well as actual extreme conditions. In that respect, they are
considered indicators of the ecological properties of the environment in which they are found. This thesis
aims at exploring the vast diversity and ecology of the Cyanobacteria, from ecosystems under different
selective pressures: extreme drought and flood conditions as well anthropogenic pressures such as
aquaculture, agriculture and urbanization Modern molecular-based methods, with emphasis on the highthroughput
sequencing, were the main methods used in this study, thus providing an accurate picture of
their diversity and community composition in different ecological niches. In both freshwater and marine
ecosystems, habitats such as microbial mats, sediment and water column were explored to give an overview
of diversity and adaptation of Cyanobacteria to different environmental conditions. These conditions are
ever shifting under the climate change, whose impact is actually observed in the semi-enclosed Adriatic Sea.
As a matter of fact, the relevance of the Cyanobacteria is especially highlighted in the vulnerable geographical
and geological area of the karstic Adriatic, where the effects of climate change and land-based pollution are
acting much faster than in other areas.

Abstract (croatian)

Cijanobakterije su sveprisutne bakterije, koje su razvile oksigenu fotosintezu te omogućile život na Zemlji
stvorivši aerobnu atmosferu prije više od 2 milijarde godina. Kao primarni kolonizatori, prilagodili su se
različitim vrstama okoliša te ekstremnim uvjetima iz Zemljine prošlosti, kao i današnjim ektremnim uvjetima.
Zahvaljujući tim prilagodbama, one su indikatori ekoloških svojstava okoliša u kojem se nalaze. Cilj ovog
doktorskog rada je istražiti raznolikost i ekologiju cijanobakterija u ekosustavima koji su pod različitim
pritiscima selekcije: ekstremnim sušama i poplavama te antropogenim pritiscima kao što su akvakultura,
poljoprivreda i urbanizacija. Molekularne metode, s naglaskom na sekvenciranju druge generacije, su glavne
metode korištene u ovom istraživanju. Njihovim implementacijom dobiva se potpunija slika raznolikosti i
sastava zajednice cijanobakterija u različitim ekološkim nišama. U slatkovodnim i morskim ekosustavima
istraživana su staništa poput mikrobnih obraštaja, sedimenata i vodenog stupca, upravo kako bi se dobio uvid
u raznolikost i prilagodbe cijanobakterija različitim uvjetima okoliša. Ti se uvjeti neprestano mijenjaju u skladu
s klimatskim promjenama, čiji je utjecaj očit u poluzatvorenom ekosustavu kao što je Jadransko more.
Zapravo, važnost istraživanja ekologije cijanobakterija je posebno primjerena u osjetljivom geografskom i
geološkom području krškog Jadrana, u kojem su učinci klimatskih promjena i onečišćenja s kopna evidentni
mnogo brže nego na drugim područjima.

• Keywords: Bacteria; microbial mat; intermittent river; seawater; sediment; aquaculture
• Keywords (croatian): bakterije; mikrobni obraštaj; povremene rijeke; morska voda; sediment; akvakultura
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:217:593876
• Study programme: Title: Interdisciplinary doctoral study in Oceanology; Study programme type: university; Study level: postgraduate; Academic / professional title: doktor/doktorica znanosti, područje prirodnih znanosti, polje interdisciplinarne prirodne znanosti (znanost o moru) (doktor/doktorica znanosti, područje prirodnih znanosti, polje interdisciplinarne prirodne znanosti (znanost o moru))
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2021-02-02 14:32:09