Longitudinal metabarcode analysis of karst bacterioplankton microbiomes provide evidence of surface to cave transport and community succession

The purpose of this study was to use metabarcoding to monitor the aquatic prokaryotic microbiome of a cave for one year, conduct longitudinal analyses of the cave's aquatic bacterioplankton, and compare it to nearby surface water. Water samples were collected in triplicate from two locations inside of Panel Cave in Natural Tunnel State Park in Duffield, VA, USA, and two locations outside of the cave.