The resilience of biofilm on an intertidal mudflat

The key objective of this thesis was to determine the resilience of biofilm on an intertidal mudflat following a physical disturbance. Over the last decade the presence and importance of biofilm on intertidal mudflats has been a focus of scientific research as biofilm has been shown to play key physical and ecological roles in mudflat dynamics. An experiment took place in the summer of 2013 to assess the resilience of biofilm following a physical disturbance. Using chlorophyll a, total organic carbon, total carbohydrate as well as the taxonomic community as variables, the re-establishment of biofilm on an intertidal mudflat was monitored over a 45 day period. Biofilm was found to regenerate rapidly (between 5 to 9 days), and was linked to environmental variables such as the tide and taxonomic species present. The regeneration varied over time and baseline levels were reached after 28 days.

Author dc:creator

• Blais, Catherine

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Lou Lauria, Mary

• Biofilm
• Diatoms
• Microphytobenthos
• Mudflat

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10170/929

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.viurrspace.ca/server/oai/request?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=dim&identifier=oai%3Anull%3A10170%2F929