Chapter outline: Aquatic Biofilms

Aquatic Biofilms: Development, Sampling, Cultivation, Analyses, Applications

John R. Lawrence, T. R. Neu, A. Paule, D. R. Korber and G. M. Wolfaardt

1.0 Introduction

2.0 Biofilm Formation Processes

            Colonization

            Maturation

            Sloughing

            Grazing effects

3.0 Biofilms on Native Surfaces

            Wood, stone, shell, living surfaces

            Mobile biofilms

            Suspended load, particulate

4.0 Biofilms on Artificial Surfaces

cultivation in lab,

in situ,

role of substrata

5.0 Extracellular Polymeric Substances

Nature of EPS,

visualization, structure,

food source, bioconcentration, carbon storage

6.0 Interactions in biofilm communities

AHLs

Grazing

7.0 Analyses of Biofilms

Sampling

Analytical Tools

Molecular  and Genomic Tools

Microscopic, microspectrotrometry tools

Other Techniques

8.0 Impacts of Environmental Stress

9.0 Bioconcentration of Contaminants

Organics

Metals

Nanomaterials

10.0 Applications of attached microbial communities

use in ecotoxicology,

risk assessment, monitoring,

11.0 Concepts

            Resilience

            Resistance

            Recovery

            Receptivity

12.0 Conclusions

13.0 Literature Cited