In situ microbial community succession on mild steel in estuarine and marine environments – SSU rRNA gene data from single amplified genomes. Microbial Community Succession on Steel – SAGs

Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) is a complex biogeochemical process involving interactions between microbes, metals, minerals, and their environment. We hypothesized that sediment-derived iron-oxidizing bacteria (FeOB) would colonize and become numerically abundant on steel surfaces incubated in coastal marine environments. To test this, steel coupons were incubated on sediments over 40 days, and samples were taken at regular intervals to examine MIC community succession. The experiments were conducted at two locations: (1) a brackish salt marsh stream and (2) a coastal marine bay. Samples from the corrosion biofilms at the coastal marine bay site were collected at 9 days and 22 days, flow sorted to obtain single-cells, amplified using multiple-displacement amplification, screened for the SSU rRNA gene, and positive cells were Sanger sequenced.