Frontiers in Microbiology (Nov 2014)

Assessing Impacts of Unconventional Natural Gas Extraction on Microbial Communities in Headwater Stream Ecosystems in Northwestern Pennsylvania

  • Ryan eTrexler,
  • Caroline eSolomon,
  • Colin J Brislawn,
  • Justin R Wright,
  • Abigail eRosenberger,
  • Erin E McClure,
  • Alyssa M Grube,
  • Mark P Peterson,
  • Mark P Peterson,
  • Mehdi eKeddache,
  • Olivia eMason,
  • Terry C Hazen,
  • Terry C Hazen,
  • Christopher J Grant,
  • Regina eLamendella

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2014.00522
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 5

Abstract

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Hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling have increased dramatically in Pennsylvania Marcellus shale formations, however the potential for major environmental impacts are still incompletely understood. High-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene was performed to characterize the microbial community structure of water, sediment, bryophyte, and biofilm samples from 26 headwater stream sites in northwestern Pennsylvania with different histories of fracking activity within Marcellus shale play. Further, we describe the relationship between microbial community structure and environmental parameters measured. Approximately 3.2 million 16S rRNA gene sequences were retrieved from a total of 58 samples. Microbial community analyses showed significant reductions in species richness as well as evenness in sites with Marcellus shale activity (MSA+). Beta diversity analyses revealed distinct microbial community structure between sites with and without Marcellus shale activity (MSA-). For example, OTUs within the Acetobacteracea, Methylocystaceae, Acidobacteriaceae, and Phenylobacterium were greater than three log-fold more abundant in MSA+ sites as compared to MSA- sites. Further, several of these OTUs were strongly negatively correlated with pH and positively correlated with the number of wellpads in a watershed. It should be noted that many of the OTUs enriched in MSA+ sites are putative acidophilic and/or methanotrophic populations. This study revealed apparent shifts in the autochthonous microbial communities and highlighted potential members that could be responding to changing stream conditions as a result of nascent industrial activity in these aquatic ecosystems.

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