Microbes across space and time: microbial composition throughout Delaware waters, invertebrates and sediments

Abstract

Microbes are ubiquitous across all environments on the planet, accounting for approximately 15% of the planet’s total biomass. Technological advancements in microbiology have revolutionized our ability to understand microbial diversity and function. Where traditional culture-based techniques once limited our view to a small fraction of microbial life, modern tools such as metagenomics, high-throughput sequencing, and environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis now provide a comprehensive view of entire microbial communities. The work presented in this thesis integrates microbiological approaches to explore water quality, sediment biogeochemistry, and invertebrate biodiversity in Delaware’s estuarine ecosystems. By applying advanced molecular techniques to microbial communities in water, sediment, and biological samples, this research provides a multidimensional view of ecosystem health and function. The findings contribute to the broader field of environmental microbiology and offer practical insights for managing water resources, protecting biodiversity, and understanding the microbial influence of ecological change.