What is it about?
This survey identifies the bacterial populations at 11 sites in the Mississippi and the Yamuna Rivers in the United States and India, respectively. Principle component analysis (PCA) using the operational taxonomic units (OTUs) from sequenced 16SrDNA samples separated 3 groups of bacterial populations; 1) 2 locations at the headwaters of the Yamuna River (below the Yamunotri glacier) and a nearby downstream location, 2) 2 locations within the Indian capitol of Delhi and 3) all other River locations in the United States and India. Greatest diversity was found below the glacier.
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Why is it important?
Water is vital to all life. Measuring and comparing the quality of water will lead to a better understanding of what constitutes not only a safe source of drinking water, but what maintains a diversity of organisms and what that diversity looks like.
Perspectives
Greater river bacterial diversity was found below the Yamunotri glacier in the Himalayas, the headwaters of the Yamuna River, as compared to other river locations including the headwaters of the Mississippi River in Minnesota. Future studies will focus on identifying specific sets of bacteria (signatures) associated with different river niches potentially allowing us to predict water quality.
Osvaldo Martinez
Winona State University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Comparison of Yamuna (India) and Mississippi River (United States of America) bacterial communities reveals greater diversity below the Yamunotri Glacier, PLoS ONE, July 2024, PLOS,
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304664.
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