Early marine bacterial biofilm on a copper-based antifouling paint

• Published in: International biodeterioration & biodegradation 2013-09, Vol.83, p.71-76
• Main Authors: Chen, Chia-Lung, Maki, James S., Rittschof, Dan, Teo, Serena Lay-Ming
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antifouling; Biofilm; Copper; Marine; Microbial
• ISSN: 0964-8305; 1879-0208
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ibiod.2013.04.012

Marine bacterial biofilm formation on an antifouling (AF) coating is the first-step of the biofouling process, and it may promote subsequent macrofouling. Copper-based AF surfaces provide a habitat to select particular bacterial populations that are able to survive in the presence of a toxic copper-biocide. To understand the early-adherent bacterial consortia on a copper-based AF surface, Interspeed® copper ablative coating, ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (RISA) followed by conventional bacterial isolation and 16S rRNA gene-based cloning and sequencing were employed to characterize the bacterial diversity and dynamics of the biofilm. RISA showed that changes in the bacterial community occurred between week-1 and week-2 followed by small changes between week-1 and week-2. Phylogenetic analyses of the bacterial isolates and clones from week-1 and week-2 showed a significant shift in bacterial composition. Representatives of the Alphaproteobacteria, Deltaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were the main bacterial groups found on the copper-based AF surface. In week-1, the main bacteria belonged to the genera Roseobacter, Natella, Alteromonas and Marinobacter. Subsequently, in week-2, the community was dominated by the Rhodobacteraceae, and the genera Erythrobacter and Cycloclasticus. The data showed that the marine bacterial communities in the early biofilm on a copper-based AF coating were highly diverse and included genera previously described as common marine biofilm representatives, copper accumulating bacteria and/or those that produce bioactive compounds. •Early adherent marine bacterial diversity on copper antifouling paint immersed in tropical coastal sea is reported.•Major changes in the bacterial community occurred in the first two weeks of immersion.•Alphaproteobacteria, Deltaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were main groups.