Comparative analysis of biodiversity in the planktonic and biofilm bacterial communities in Lake Baikal

A comparative analysis of Lake Baikal's bacterial communities revealed significant differences between planktonic and biofilm habitats. The study, using pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA gene fragments, identified 35 bacterial phyla in the lake, some previously undetected. Biofilm communities were dominated by Cyanobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria (each comprising over 99% of the community), while planktonic communities exhibited greater heterogeneity, with 15% belonging to other phyla alongside dominant groups like Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria. This approach also uncovered minor microbial groups not previously detected by other molecular methods, highlighting the unique biodiversity and ecological complexity of Lake Baikal's aquatic ecosystems.

Parfenova, V. V., Gladkikh, A. S., & Belykh, O. I. (2013). Comparative analysis of biodiversity in the planktonic and biofilm bacterial communities in Lake Baikal. Microbiology, 82(1), 91–101. https://doi.org/10.1134/s0026261713010128