Evaluation of biofilm assembly and microbial diversity on a freshwater, ferrous-hulled shipwreck

The overall structure, abundance, and diversity of microbial communities on shipwrecks have recently been studied in marine aquatic environments. While previous studies have looked at the microbial communities associated with shallow-water ferrous-hulled wrecks in marine environments, studies focusing on freshwater wreck systems are limited. The purpose of this study was to determine microbial community diversity and composition trends across the <i>Accomac</i> shipwreck environment. Furthermore, shipwrecks are colonized by corrosion-causing taxa, such as iron-oxidizing bacteria and sulfate-reducing bacteria which have been shown to influence the biocorrosion of ferrous-hulled structures. Identification of various microbes in biofilms, as well as corrosion-causing microbes, can help researchers identify the role they play in aquatic ecosystem development and persistence as well as artificial reef integrity. Understanding how microbes assemble on wrecks will provide insight into preservation strategies to prevent deterioration of these wrecks over time, as well as limiting biocorrosion of similar structures.