Freshwater salinization modulates stream bacterial diversity via environmental filtering

Freshwater salinization is a pervasive water quality issue but it's direct effects on bacterial community membership and assembly mechanisms were unknown. Our objectives were to use controlled laboratory experiments to determine the effects of a salinity gradient within the freshwater range on bacterial community structure and diversity and assess whether individual chloride salts characteristic of common sources of freshwater salinization exert differential impacts on freshwater bacterial communities.