| dc.description.abstract |
<p>The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) Oil Spill, which occurred on April 20, 2010, remains
the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history, causing catastrophic impacts on the
ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico coastal regions. The objective of this study was
to investigate if there was any long-term ecological impact of oil contamination on
the leaf, soil, and root bacterial communities at Bay Jimmy and Fort Fourchon in Louisiana
nine years after the DWH blowout occurred. Statistical analysis of alpha diversity,
beta diversity, and differential abundance was performed according to each sample
type (Leaf, Root, Soil) in response to oil history and sites (Bay Jimmy and Fort Fourchon)
to analyze the bacterial 16S rRNA genes and characterize changes in the community
abundance, diversity, and composition. The results revealed that none of the bacterial
communities within each sample type had a significant difference in the abundance
and diversity between sites and oil history. However, the soil and root community
compositions differed significantly between Bay Jimmy and Fort Fourchon, as well as
between oiled environment and non-oiled environment. The leaf community composition
only varied significantly between sites. Sample type and site accounted for a larger
variance in the community composition changes than oil contamination. The results
of this study provide an analysis of the long-term impacts of the oil spill on the
studied bacterial communities, which might provide some support for future investigations
of the interactions between plant-associated bacteria and the biodegradation of oil
spill at other places with a similar ecosystem.</p>
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