Name: microbes in streams, lakes, and rivers
Uploaded: 2026-03-12T13:57:36.000Z
Duration: 1 min 24 s
Channel: JoVE

K12 Standards

Alabama Course of Study Science

9-12

Environmental Science

Unity and Diversity

9-12.EVS.2.3.b

Freshwater Microbial Ecology

La ecología microbiana de agua dulce se moldea por la disponibilidad de carbono orgánico, nutrientes, oxígeno y luz.Cerca de la superficie, el fitoplancton utiliza la luz solar para convertir dióxido de carbono en carbono orgánico.En aguas poco profundas, las diatomeas contribuyen a la producción de carbono orgánico, mientras que los microbios heterotróficos descomponen este carbono orgánico, liberando dióxido de carbono y reciclando nutrientes de nuevo en el agua.Las biopelículas en superficies sumergidas atrapan materia orgánica del agua, donde bacterias, hongos y protistas trabajan juntos para descomponerla y liberar dióxido de carbono.Las zonas bentónicas suelen recibir carbono de la hojarasca y la materia orgánica sumergida, que es degradada por microbios heterotróficos.Estos microbios liberan carbono orgánico disuelto de nuevo en el agua, apoyando a las comunidades microbianas cercanas.La escorrentía urbana y agrícola puede introducir residuos orgánicos en el agua dulce, lo que conduce a la eutrofización.Esto favorece las floraciones cianobacterianas en la superficie y la posterior disminución de osígeno, ya que los microbios heterotróficos descomponen el exceso de biomasa, afectando la estructura general de la comunidad microbiana.

ecología microbiana de agua dulce

Los sistemas de agua dulce como arroyos, ríos y lagos presentan características físicas y biológicas distintivas que influyen en sus comunidades microbianas. Estos entornos se clasifican ampliamente en sistemas lóticos —aquellos con aguas corrientes como arroyos y la mayoría de los ríos— y sistemas lentos, que incluyen aguas quietas o de corriente lenta como lagos, estanques y marismas.En los sistemas lentos, el fitoplancton impulsa la producción primaria, generando carbono orgánico autóctono. En cambio, los sistemas lóticos experimentan turbulencia, poca luz y mezcla rápida, lo que limita el crecimiento del plancton. Estas aguas fluyentes dependen en cambio de aportes de carbono alóctono—tanto disuelto como particulado—provenientes de la vegetación circundante y de las actividades humanas, lo que favorece la colonización microbiana.Los arroyos y ríos suelen albergar vibrantes comunidades microbianas bentónicas, con biopelículas compuestas tanto por organismos fotosintéticos como por heterótrofos. Estos biofilms desempeñan un papel crucial en el reciclaje de nutrientes y la descomposición de materia orgánica. Sin embargo, las perturbaciones causadas por la escorrentía urbana o la actividad agrícola pueden alterar este equilibrio, lo que provoca una reducción de los niveles de oxígeno, conocida como caída del osígeno, y una posible anoxia. La contaminación puntual, como el vertido de aguas residuales, y la contaminación difusa, como la escorrentía de las granjas, pueden alterar la dinámica microbiana y reducir la calidad del agua.Los lagos difieren sustancialmente debido a su naturaleza lenta. Su estructura microbiana está influida por la profundidad, la disponibilidad de nutrientes y la estratificación térmica. Los lagos poco profundos pueden albergar autótrofos bentónicos a lo largo de toda la columna de agua, mientras que los lagos más profundos desarrollan capas térmicas distintas en verano. El epilimnio superior es rico en oxígeno y productivo, mientras que el hipolimnio más profundo suele volverse anóxico debido a la mezcla limitada y a la respiración que supera la difusión del ogénigeno. Los volteamientos estacionales en otoño y primavera pueden redistribuir nutrientes, lo que provoca floraciones transitorias.Los lagos tropicales, aunque similares a los templados durante el verano, experimentan calor durante todo el año y dinámicas impulsadas por las lluvias. Esto fomenta la productividad continua y las frecuentes floraciones, especialmente por cianobacterias fijadoras de nitrógeno. Los lagos también varían en contenido de nutrientes, desde sistemas oligotróficos pobres en nutrientes, que permanecen oxigenados durante todo el año, hasta lagos eutróficos ricos en nutrientes que sostienen grandes poblaciones de cianobacterias. Estos microbios prosperan en aguas alcalinas y cálidas y pueden competir con las algas eucariotas, a veces produciendo toxinas y alterando la calidad del agua.

Ecología microbiana de agua dulce

Freshwater systems such as streams, rivers, and lakes exhibit distinct physical and biological characteristics that influence their microbial communities. ...

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Education

Educación

JoVE Core

Microbiology

Microbiología

Unit

Unidad

Microbial Ecology

Ecología microbiana

KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS

TÉRMINOS Y CONCEPTOS CLAVE

microbes in streams, lakes, and rivers

Freshwater microbes live in streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, and marshes, but their communities change with water movement, light, depth, and nutrients. These systems are often grouped into lotic waters, which flow, and lentic waters, which are still or slow-moving. The physical setting shapes where microbes grow and how they get energy.

In lentic systems, phytoplankton are the main producers. They make autochthonous organic carbon, which means carbon made within the water body. In lotic systems, rapid mixing, low light, and turbulence limit plankton growth. These flowing waters depend more on allochthonous carbon, which is material that comes from outside the water, such as vegetation and human activity.

Streams and rivers often have active benthic microbial communities on the bottom. Their biofilms include photosynthetic organisms and heterotrophs, which must obtain energy from organic matter. These biofilms help recycle nutrients and break down organic matter. Urban runoff or agricultural activity can disturb this balance and lower oxygen levels, a pattern called oxygen sag, which can lead to anoxia, or very low oxygen.

Pollution also changes freshwater microbes. Point source pollution, such as wastewater discharge, and nonpoint source pollution, such as farm runoff, can shift microbial communities and reduce water quality. Lakes show another set of patterns because depth and thermal stratification, or layering by temperature, strongly affect them. Shallow lakes may support benthic autotrophs through much of the water column, while deeper lakes form separate layers in summer.

In deep lakes, the upper epilimnion is oxygen-rich and productive. The lower hypolimnion often becomes anoxic because mixing is limited and respiration uses oxygen faster than it can diffuse downward. Seasonal overturn in autumn and spring can move nutrients through the water and trigger short-lived blooms. Tropical lakes also support frequent blooms, but they stay warm year-round and respond strongly to rainfall, especially when nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria grow.

Lakes also vary in nutrient level. Oligotrophic lakes are nutrient-poor and usually stay oxygenated throughout the year. Eutrophic lakes are nutrient-rich and can support large cyanobacterial populations. These microbes do well in warm, alkaline water and may outcompete eukaryotic algae. Some can also produce toxins and change water quality.

Microbes in Streams, Lakes, and Rivers

introduction to microbial ecology

Microbial Communities in Soil and Extremes

Microbial ecology looks at how microorganisms live, interact, and adapt in different ecosystems. It also shows how these tiny organisms help shape nutrient cycling, energy flow, and environmental balance. An ecosystem includes living parts and non-living parts, and microbes respond to both. Microorganisms can form populations, which are groups of the same species living together at the same time. When populations from different species live and interact in the same place, they form a microbial...

ecological niche

Microbial Niches in Ecosystems

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methods to assess microbial populations

Measuring Microbes in Samples

Measuring microbes in a sample helps scientists study health, ecology, and industry. Microbial counts can show how many cells are present, how diverse they are, and what they may be doing. To do this, researchers use both culture-based and molecular methods. A viable plate count is a classic culture method for estimating living microbes. The sample is first diluted step by step, then spread on nutrient agar plates. Each viable cell can grow into a visible colony, so the colonies can be counted.

methods to assess microbial communities

Measuring Microbial Diversity and Activity

Microbial communities include bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotic microorganisms. They live in many ecosystems and affect important environmental and biological processes. Scientists study these communities by looking at how many species are present, how many individuals each species has, and how evenly the species are spread out. Species richness is the number of different species in a sample. Species abundance is the relative amount of each species. Species evenness describes how uniformly the...

the winogradsky column

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microenvironments

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microbial mats

Microbial Mats and Oxygen Gradients

Microbial mats are layered communities of microbes that grow in response to changes in light, oxygen, and nutrients. These ecosystems are highly organized, and different microorganisms live at different depths. Biofilms are the early stage of this growth and are only a few millimeters thick. Mature microbial mats can grow to centimeter scale and show clear vertical structure. This layered arrangement lets microbes fill separate niches within a very small space. In cyanobacterial mats from hot...

microbial interactions: mutualism

Mutualistic Partnerships in Nature

Mutualistic partnerships in nature show how two or more organisms can benefit from living together. These symbiotic relationships can be obligate, meaning the partners depend on each other, or facultative, meaning the association is helpful but not required. Mutualism helps support many ecosystem functions across land and water. One common example is the partnership between plant roots and mycorrhizal fungi, such as Rhizophagus species. The fungal hyphae grow into the root hairs and epidermis,...

microbial interactions: cooperation

Microbial Cooperation in Soil and Hosts

Microbial cooperation describes helpful interactions between different species. In these partnerships, microbes work together for one or mutual benefit. These interactions can shape ecosystems and evolution. They also play major roles in symbiosis and disease. One clear example involves the Gram-negative bacterium Xenorhabdus nematophila and the parasitic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae. Juvenile nematodes carry the bacteria in the soil and need an insect host to mature. When the nematode...

microbial interactions: predation

How Microbes Hunt and Defend

Microbial predation is a form of interaction in which one microorganism kills and eats another to gain nutrients and energy. It includes both bacterial predators and protozoan predators. This process helps shape microbial communities and affects how nutrients move through the environment. Some bacterial predators attack from the outside, while others enter the prey cell. Epibiotic predators, such as Vampirococcus, attach to the surface of a prey cell and release hydrolytic enzymes. These...

microbial interactions: competition

Microbial Competition and Niche Partitioning

Microbial competition shapes how bacteria and other microbes share space and resources. In shared environments, they compete for nutrients, space, or light. The strength of this competition depends on the environment, including nutrient levels, space limits, and how many microbial species are present. These interactions help determine the structure, function, and resilience of microbial communities. Microbial competition is usually grouped into exploitative competition and interference...

microbial interactions: parasitism

Microbial Parasites and Host Dependence

Microbial parasites depend on a host for nutrients and shelter, and this dependence often harms the host. In parasitism, only the parasite benefits. This is different from mutualism, where both organisms gain from the relationship. Microbial parasites are classified by where they live in or on the host. Ectoparasites stay on the host’s surface, such as the skin or outer tissues, and take in nutrients from outside. Endoparasites live inside the host’s body and invade tissues or organs.

microbe-plant interactions

How Plant Microbes Affect Growth

Plant microbes can help, harm, or simply live alongside their hosts. These microbe-plant interactions shape plant growth, health, and ecosystem function. The plant microbiome includes bacteria, fungi, archaea, protists, and viruses, and these organisms may live on the plant surface, inside plant tissues, or in symbiosis throughout the plant. Some of the most important beneficial partnerships involve mycorrhizal fungi. These fungi form close connections with roots and are grouped as arbuscular...

microbes and the carbon cycle

How Microbes Move Carbon Through Earth

Microbes move carbon through Earth’s major reservoirs and help drive the carbon cycle. Carbon shifts among the biosphere, lithosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere, where it supports life and helps regulate climate. It commonly cycles as carbon dioxide (CO2), the oxidized form of carbon, but methane (CH4) and organic compounds also matter. Photosynthetic microbes take in atmospheric CO2 and turn it into organic carbon. Cyanobacteria are especially important because they carry out oxygenic...

microbes and methanogenesis

How Microbes Produce Methane

Methane production in anaerobic ecosystems depends on methanogenic archaea and the microbes that work with them. This process happens where oxygen is absent, such as wetlands, sediments, and animal gastrointestinal tracts. In these anoxic habitats, aerobic respiration cannot run, so microbes use other pathways to break down organic matter. Anaerobic decomposition starts when cellulolytic bacteria, or cellulose-digesting bacteria, hydrolyze dead organic material into simple sugars. Other...

microbes and the nitrogen cycle

Microbial Steps in the Nitrogen Cycle

Microbes drive the nitrogen cycle by changing nitrogen into forms that plants and other organisms can use. This biogeochemical cycle keeps nitrogenous compounds balanced in ecosystems. It also supports plant growth and microbial growth. Nitrogen fixation begins the cycle by converting inert atmospheric nitrogen gas, N2, into ammonia, NH3. This step depends on nitrogenase enzymes. Free-living diazotrophs do this on their own. Aerobic bacteria such as Azotobacter spp. and anaerobic bacteria such...

microbes and the sulfur cycle

Sulfur Cycling Through Microbial Reactions

Sulfur cycling depends on microbial reactions that move sulfur through rocks, water, soil, and the air. In Earth systems, sulfur shifts among inorganic forms such as sulfate, elemental sulfur, and sulfide. These changes happen through both abiotic processes and biological activity in oxic and anoxic environments. Sulfate is the most oxidized form of sulfur. It is stored mainly in rocks, marine sediments, and ocean water, where it acts as a long-term reservoir in the global sulfur cycle. In...

microbes and other elemental cycles

Microbes Driving Iron and Manganese Cycles

Microbes drive iron and manganese cycling in aquatic environments by changing these metals between reduced and oxidized forms. These reactions are especially important along redox gradients, where oxygen levels shift across stratified water layers. The microbes use these metals for energy, growth, and structural needs. In oxygen-rich surface waters, iron is usually present as insoluble ferric iron, Fe(III). Some bacteria release siderophores, which are small organic molecules that bind ferric...

marine microbial ecology

Microbial Life in the Ocean

Marine microbial life is shaped by salinity, low nutrients, and changing oxygen levels. These physical and chemical limits influence which microbes can survive and how they function. They also affect how ocean microbes help drive nutrient and carbon cycling. Small cell size is common in these environments because it gives microbes a larger surface-to-volume ratio. That helps them take up nutrients more efficiently when nutrients are scarce. In estuaries, where salinity changes often,...

deep sea microbial ecology

Deep Sea Microbes and Extreme Conditions

Deep sea microbes live in one of Earth’s harshest environments. The deep ocean is far below the sunlit photic zone, which usually reaches the upper 100 to 200 meters of open water. Below that layer, the bathypelagic and abyssal zones stretch from about 1,000 to 6,000 meters, and hadal trenches go even deeper. This region is dark, cold, and highly pressurized. Temperatures are usually around 2 to 3°C, although hydrothermal vents can be slightly warmer. Pressure rises by about 1 atmosphere for...

freshwater microbial ecology

Freshwater microbes live in streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, and marshes, but their communities change with water movement, light, depth, and nutrients. These systems are often grouped into lotic waters, which flow, and lentic waters, which are still or slow-moving. The physical setting shapes where microbes grow and how they get energy. In lentic systems, phytoplankton are the main producers. They make autochthonous organic carbon, which means carbon made within the water body. In lotic...

soil microbial ecology

How Soil Microbes Cycle Nutrients

Soil microbes drive nutrient cycling, organic matter turnover, and ecosystem stability. A gram of soil can contain thousands of bacterial and archaeal taxa, but their shared job is what helps sustain land ecosystems. Their activity changes the way carbon, nitrogen, and other nutrients move through soil. Soil is a patchwork of minerals, organic matter, water, and air. Microbes live in tiny microhabitats shaped by pore size, moisture, oxygen, and nutrients. Sandy soils drain fast and tend to...

key terms and concepts

Explore how water flow, depth, nutrients, and pollution shape freshwater microbes in streams, rivers, lakes, and cyanobacteria blooms.

Microbes in Streams, Lakes, and Rivers | JoVE K12

JoVE Core Microbiology provides an engaging introduction to the microbial world and its influence on health, industry, and the environment. This comprehensive collection covers key concepts such as microbial structure, metabolism, genetics, and ecology. It introduces essential laboratory techniques and microscopy methods through visually engaging animations. Corresponding scientist-in-action videos bridge classroom concepts with real-world research and applications.

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Microbes in Streams, Lakes, and Rivers

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