1. Winogradsky Columns
Sediment Microbial Ecology

2. Subject matter Oceanography standard SB02
Analyze flow of energy in marine systems
Importance of ocean biochemical cycling
Biology standards SB3 and SB4
Energy cycling through photosynthesis
Dependence of all organisms on one another
Microbiology standards SM13 and SM15
Factors regulating microbial growth

3. What are Sediments? Minerals transported by water bodies
Accumulates nutrients from overlying water body
Microbe rich environment
10^6 cells per mL seawater

4. Sediment stratification
Sediments are stratified vertically along environmental gradients
What environmental factor(s) form these gradients?

5. How do classify a microbe’s metabolism?
Carbon source
Autotroph vs. heterotroph
Energy source
Phototroph vs. chemotroph
What is a chemoheterotroph?

8. Activity Outline We will make our own winogradsky columns
Basic ingredients
Eggs, newspaper, mud, water
What do each of these components add to the system?
Mix the ingredients together (doesn’t have to be precise) and add to your container
Place under a lamp or near a window
Other treatments?

9. Winogradsky columns Cheap and easy to make Self sustaining
Many different treatments
Each one is unique!