Harbors and Marinas

Abstract

Harbors are the perfect example of artificial, anthropogenically created habitats. They are chronically polluted, eutrophicated, complex, and highly variable environments. Their particular features determine the composition, structure, and dynamics of the microbial communities found there, which are generally highly diverse and very dynamic. This is probably a strategy of these communities for being able to respond to rapidly changing conditions, or a consequence of the wide range of available substrates for growth. Both in harbor water and sediment, bacterial communities clearly differ from those of surrounding coastal areas. However, due to the limited number of studies available and the complexity of these microbial communities, it is not easy to draw patterns of diversity that would be characteristic of harbors, particularly in the case of sediments. Ribosomal sequences which can be affiliated to known hydrocarbon degrading bacteria are usually found in diversity surveys from harbors, although they do not necessarily represent the predominant populations in these environments.