Hardwick, E. O., W. Ye, M. A. Moran, and R. E. Hodson. 2002. Temporal dynamics of three culturable γ-Proteobacteria taxa in salt marsh sediments. Aquat. Ecol. 37:55-64.

Temporal dynamics of three marine γ-Proteobacteria taxa with culturable members were followed in sediment communities in southeastern U.S. salt marshes using a whole genome hybridization approach. Labeled DNA from three bacterial isolates was used to probe sediment community DNA from two salt marshes on Sapelo Island, GA at multiple time points over a three-year period. The relative abundance of the three isolates (and their close relatives) accounted for up to 28% of the total sediment community DNA. Hybridization signals for the taxon represented by isolate SIGA28M (with a 16S rRNA sequence similarity of 97% to Vibrio proteolyticus) showed significant temporal variation in both marshes, varying from 1% to 28% over the three-year period. The taxa represented by isolates SIGA172a and SIGA198 (16S rRNA sequence similarities of 90% and 92% to Shewanella frigidimarina and Vibrio nigripulchritudo, respectively) accounted for less than 6% of the sediment community at any time point. The variation in relative abundance of these three groups did not appear to follow clear seasonal trends, and could not be readily correlated with environmental variables.