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 ...

Freshwater microbial ecology is shaped by the availability of organic carbon, nutrients, oxygen, and light.

Near the surface, phytoplankton use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into organic carbon.

In shallow waters, diatoms contribute to organic carbon production, while heterotrophic microbes break down this organic carbon, releas...