Author(s): E. Vignaga; W. T. Sloan; H. Haynes; V. R. Phoenix; T. Beattie; A. Fernandes; M. Jarvis
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: Biostabilization; Biofilm; Cohesion; Entrainment; Flume
Abstract: The entrainment of sediments in the transition region between non-cohesive and cohesive sediments in the natural environment remains poorly understood (Lick et al., 2004). One complexity is the colonies of microorganisms, termed ‘biofilms', acting to bind grains together. The aim of this paper is to quantify the biostabilization of a substrate comprised of 1.09mm glass spheres by a single cyanobacterium species biofilm (Phormidium sp.) grown for 1-10weeks. Using videography and ImageJ post- processing software, results indicate that biofilm increases the critical threshold of entrainment of a particle by 23% to 77%. A period of 4 weeks colonization was found ta optimise biofilm strength.
Year: 2009