Diversity of Vibrio spp. populations in several exhibition aquaria with a shared water supply

Aims: Abiotic factors may influence the settlement of bacterial populations in similar marine environments. Exhibition aquaria are a model for the stu dy of the settlement of bacteria in different environment. Vibrio populatio ns in the seawater reservoir, the Mediterranean tank and the Tropical tank from an exhibition aquarium on the western coast of the Mediterranean were compared and the effect of abiotic factors on the structure of these popula tions was considered. Methods and Results: High diversity indexes and similar Vibrio populations were found in the water of the reservoir and of the Mediterranean tank, whe reas a lower diversity and different main populations were found in the wat er of the Tropical tank. The antibiotic resistance profiles of the most rep resentative strains, presented a number of differences depending on the ori gin of the sample. Conclusions: Abiotic conditions, mainly temperature, may determine the stru cture and composition of Vibrio populations in exhibition aquaria. Significance and Impact of the Study: Bacterial monitoring of water could b e useful for health management of aquatic environments.