Karst groundwater from Edwards Aquifer Targeted Locus (Loci)

The goal of this current study was to evaluate the microbial diversity across the transition zone from the fresh to saline water in one section of the Edwards Aquifer, a karst aquifer system, and to assess and contrast the geochemical and microbial effects on carbonate dissolution along the same gradient from in situ microcosm experiments. Total nucleic acids were extracted from GF/F filters of water pumped from water wells near New Braunfels, Texas, and San Marcos, Texas, and from a freshwater spring at Comal Springs. Pyrosequencing of the V1-V3 region of 16S rRNA genes was done using a 454 GS FLX Titanium. Pyrosequencing reveals the diversity and variability of bacterial communities from fresh and saline water wells near New Braunfels, Texas, and San Marcos, Texas, and from a freshwater spring at Comal Springs.