Intertidal Sediment Microcosm Data on Bacterial and Foraminiferal Response to Disturbance

An incubation experiment from the Australian Ocean Data Network studied the re-establishment of vertical bacterial and foraminiferal zonation in sieved intertidal sediments over 49 days. Living foraminifera were counted using Rose Bengal stain, and redox-sensitive pore water elements were measured with a voltammetric microelectrode. Bacterial abundances were quantified via phospholipid-derived fatty acid (PLFA) analysis.

Use Cases

• Modeling foraminiferal migration patterns based on oxygen availability over a 21-day period
• Analyzing vertical bacterial distribution changes based on PLFA concentration profiles down to 70 mm depth
• Comparing sediment biogeochemistry between field and microcosm conditions based on redox-sensitive element measurements
• Studying the long-term impact of macrobenthic removal on electron acceptor flux and dissimilatory processes

Strengths

• Experimental design includes a defined 49-day incubation period for observing temporal changes
• Description details specific measurement techniques: Rose Bengal staining for foraminifera and voltammetric microelectrodes for pore water chemistry
• Data includes depth-resolved profiles of bacterial PLFAs and foraminiferal counts

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Laboratory microcosm incubation experiments on sieved intertidal sediments.

Time Range

Incubation period of 49 days.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-28 12:51:14.154265; freshness should be verified

Geography

Intertidal sediments; specific location not stated.