Signifi cant scientifi c advances made in recent years elucidate the importance of microbial ecology to virtually all aspects of ecology of the greater Everglades ecosystem. This volume assembles much of the recent Everglades microbial ecology research and includes chapters on a variety of topics ranging from basic science to potential implications for management strategies for this unique ecosystem. Included in this volume are discussions of such diverse topics as environmental concerns (nutrient impacts, mercury cycling, and the potential impacts of sea level rise), the function of periphyton communities across gradients in nutrients and hydrology, and the fundamental ecology of methane (CH4), nitrogen fi xation, and algal toxins.
