Bacterial community composition underneath salmon aquaculture sites

Bacteria are sensitive to environmental change and surveying fluctuations in the composition and diversity of bacterial communities is a promising tool for monitoring the status of benthic environments. We used 16S rRNA gene (v6-v8 region) high-throughput sequencing to characterize bacterial communities in flocculent matter samples collected over a period of three years and at various distances from cages at production and fallow salmon aquaculture sites in southern Newfoundland to evaluate the environmental impact of aquaculture on hard-bottom substrates.