A field scale approach to link microbial community structure and function in a petroleum hydrocabon contaminated aquifer

Microorganisms play an important role in ecologically relevant processes such as the degradation of contaminants and the cycling of nutrients. To understand these processes it is of great interest to study the number and diversity of microorganisms involved (microbial community structure) as well as their function. One of the current challenges in microbial ecology is to find methods to simultaneously study and link microbial community structure with function, particularly at the field scale. The aim of this thesis was to apply a combination of tools at the field scale to determine the identity of microorganisms carrying out various processes in a petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated aquifer, while at the same time quantifying the rates at which the processes occur.