Microbial characterization of a natural biofilm associated with Peruvian scallop (Argopecten purpuratus) larvae settlement on artificial collector by confocal imaging, microbiology, and metagenomic analysis

Biofilms strongly influence bivalve settlement patterns on artificial substrates; however, their structure and taxonomic composition remains a black box. We characterized a natural biofilm composition that exhibits a large settlement of larvae of the Peruvian scallop Argopecten purpuratus by culture-dependent and culture-independent methods. Thirty-two different strains, representing six genera (10 strains of Bacillus, 9 of Vibrio, 6 Acinetobacter, 4 Staphylococcus, 2 Photobacterium, and 1 Exiguobacterium) were isolated. Those strains represented only 1.09% of the relative abundance compared with the total microbiota obtained by 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing. The metagenomic analysis identified 441 species. Prokaryotes were predominant (93.4%) over eukaryotes (6.6%), with Pelobacter (13.4%), Lewinella (5.6%), Marinobacter (5.4%), Hoeflea (4.2%), and Microcystis (3.1%) being the most representative genera. Laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) imaging evidenced an irregular and heterogeneous biofilm with an average thickness of 35 μm, where the heterotrophic prokaryotic community (3.4×106 cell cm-2) dominate the photoautotrophic communities (2.3×105 cell cm-2). For the first time, an A. purpuratus settlement-related biofilm was described by the next generation sequencing tool (NGS) and compared with traditional methodologies.

Estimates of global dew collection potential on artificial surfaces

The global potential for collecting usable water from dew on an artificial collector sheet was investigated by utilizing 34 years of meteorological reanalysis data as input to a dew formation model. Continental dew formation was found to be frequent and common, but daily yields were mostly below 0.1 mm. Nevertheless, some water-stressed areas such as parts of the coastal regions of northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula show potential for large-scale dew harvesting, as the yearly yield may reach up to 100 L m−2 for a commonly used polyethylene foil. Statistically significant trends were found in the data, indicating overall changes in dew yields of between ±10% over the investigated time period.

Estimates of global dew collection potential

The global potential for collecting usable water from dew on an artificial collector sheet was investigated by utilising 34 years of meteorological reanalysis data as input to a dew formation model. Dew formation was found to be frequent and common, but daily yields were mostly below 0.1 mm. Nevertheless, some water-stressed areas such as the coastal regions of northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula show potential for large-scale dew harvesting, as the yearly yield can reach up to 100 L m−2 for a commonly used polyethylene foil. Statistically significant trends were found in the data, indicating overall changes in dew yields between ±15% over the investigated time period.

Effect of target wettability on spray droplet adhesion retention spreading and coverage artificial collectors versus plant surfaces

This study demonstrated that natural foliage and artificial collectors range in surface wettability affecting spray adhesion retention spreading and coverage Therefore the choice of artificial collector or natural foliage depends on the scientific question If the volume of spray available to the canopy or spray accountancy is to be determined then an artificial collector that will intercept and retain all of the spray is required Careful consideration of collector is required to meet stated objectives For example water sensitive paper is an excellent aid to sprayer setup but does not distinguish differences between formulations It also provides no indication of retention or coverage on the crop surface All artificial collectors tested were poor indicators of adhesion and retention by and spreading and coverage on natural plant surfaces and should not be substituted for natural plant surfaces in field trials attempting to quantify spray retention and coverage on the crop surfaces