WEBINAR: Species diversity and community dynamics of diatoms in the Savannah River estuary

Species diversity and community dynamics of diatoms in the Savannah River estuary

Description: The Savannah River has cultural, historic, and biodiversity value in Georgia. It is a well studied system located upstream of intertidal influence. I will present community analyses from a single location (USGS monitoring site) with temporal exposure of diatoms to diurnal desiccation at low tides and unique hydrology mixing freshwater and saltwater fluids moving in opposite directions. We sampled diatoms seasonally over 10 years and to document the before, during, and after deepening of the riverbed due to the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project. The expansion resulted in the influx of salt water and increases in sedimentation. We found that the physiology and community ecology of freshwater, marine, and brackish diatoms changed significantly over time.

Target Audience: This talk is targeted for a general scientific audience with special interest on diatoms, taxonomic identification, and microbial ecology in complex ecosystems.

Manoylov, K.M. and Dominy Jr., J.N. (2013) Changes in epipelic diatom diversity from the Savannah River Estuary Journal of Environmental Protection 4: 172-172 .

Thompson, A. and Manoylov, K.M. (2016) Algal community dynamics within the Savannah River Estuary, Georgia under anthropogenic stress Estuaries and Coasts .

Manoylov, K.M., France, Y.E., Geletu, A., and Dominy Jr., J.N. (2016) Algal community membership of estuarine mudflats from the Savannah River, United States Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 4: 1-13.