Cross-site Comparison of Coastal Bacterial Occurrences and Diversity at Selected Sites along the Atlantic Ocean

Coastal marine sites were examined for the occurrences and diversity of indigenous bacterial populations using high resolution 16S ribosomal RNA gene pyrosequencing approach to further understand the ecological importance of environmental variables. Samples containing slurries of seawater and sediments were collected from nine different sites along the Atlantic Ocean in Monrovia, Liberia and were divided into three spatially distinct groups.