Benthic Diatoms in Biofilm Culture

Abstract

An incubator prototype specially designed for culturing aquatic phototrophic biofilms on substrata at controlled environmental conditions was used to perform continuous-flow microcosm experiments with freshwater and marine communities. Here we report on diatom accrual and compositional shifts during biofilm development in the system. Diatoms constituted a significant fraction, in taxon richness and biomass, of the biofilms inoculated in the incubator. The effect of different irradiances, medium flow rates and temperatures on community structure was simultaneously tested during six experiments. The role of key species and life forms (lifestyles) in the cultures was also addressed