The role of macrofaunal burrow biofilms in protein degradation in intertidal sediments in Bolinao Bay, Pangasinan

Abstract

Biofilm, an essential trophic component of a healthy ecosystem, are found in the walls of macrofaunal burrows. Two essential protein degradation activities are protease and ETS activities. The protein degradative ability of biofilms found in macrofaunal burrows in intertidal zones along Bolinao Bay, Pangasinan was measured through measurements of protease and electron transport system (ETS) activities. Sediment samples for this experiment were taken from three sampling sites, namely Patar 1, Patar 2 and BML. From each sampling site, sediment samples were obtained from three sampling zones: the top surface layer, subsurface or ambient sediment and biofilm from burrow walls. Protease and ETS activities of biofilm, surface and ambient from each of the sampling site were compared. Ectoenzyme and ETS activity rates of the biofilm, surface and ambient sediments were measured photometrically. Two-way Analysis of Variance with interaction (p=0.05) was used to verify an interaction between the sampling sites and sampling zones. T-test (p=0.05) was employed to test for significance level. Based on the results, for protease activity, no interaction exists between the sampling site and sampling zone. Hence, average protease activity of each sampling zone, regardless of sampling site, was compared. Results show that no significant difference exists between the protease activity rates of biofilm and surface sediments while ambient had the lowest activity rate among the three sampling zones. As for ETS, an interaction between sampling site and sampling zone exist. Results show that in Patar 1, ETS activity rate of biofilm had no significant difference with that of the ambient while a significant difference was found between the ETS activity rate of biofilm and surface. Surface sediment in Patar 1 had the highest rate of ETS activity. In Patar 2, biofilm had the highest rate of ETS activity and its rate was found to be significantly different with that of the surface and of the ambient. In BML shore, ETS activity of the biofilm was found to be not significantly different with that of the surface. Ambient had the lowest ETS activity rate as compared to the rate of the biofilm and surface sediment.