Shifts in water column microbial composition associated to lakes with different trophic conditions: “Lagunas de Montebello” National Park, Chiapas, México

Abstract

Eutrophication is a global problem causing the reduction of water quality and the loss of ecosystem goods and services. The lakes of the “Lagunas de Montebello” National Park (LMNP), Chiapas, Mexico, not only represent unique and beautiful natural scenic sites in southern Mexico but are also a national protected area and RAMSAR site. Unfortunately, some of these lakes started showing eutrophication signs since 2003. Anthropogenic activities (e.g., land-use change from forested to agricultural and urban development) are leading to water quality and trophic state alterations of the lakes of the LMNP. This study shows the results of a coupled limnological characterization and high-throughput sequencing of the V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene to analyze the microbial composition of the water column in a set of oligotrophic and eutrophic lakes. Chlorophyll a (Chl-a) was the main environmental parameter correlated with the trophic conditions of the lakes. Although the microbial diversity was similar, the microbial composition changed significantly from oligo to eutrophic lakes. Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Cyanobacteria were the main components of oligotrophic lakes, and Cyanobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes of eutrophic lakes. While Acinetobacter (Proteobacteria) and Cyanobium (a unicellular cyanobacterium) dominated in oligotrophic lakes, the filamentous, bloom-forming, and toxin-producing cyanobacteria Planktothrix was the dominant genus in eutrophic lakes. High-throughput sequencing allowed the detection of changes in the composition of the microbial component in oligotrophic lakes, suggesting a shift towards eutrophication, highlighting the relevance of sensitive monitoring protocols of these ecosystems to implement remediation programs for eutrophicated lakes and conservation strategies for those yet pristine.

Keywords

• Microbial ecology
• Karst lakes
• Eutrophication
• Planktothrix
• Cyanobium
• Montebello