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Adam TC, Holbrook SJ, Burkepile DE, Speare KE, Brooks AJ, Ladd MC, Shantz AA, Vega Thurber R, Schmitt RJ. Priority effects in coral-macroalgae interactions can drive alternate community paths in the absence of top-down control. Ecology 2022; 103:e3831. [PMID: 35862066 PMCID: PMC10078572 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The outcomes of species interactions can vary greatly in time and space with the outcomes of some interactions determined by priority effects. On coral reefs, benthic algae rapidly colonize disturbed substrate. In the absence of top-down control from herbivorous fishes, these algae can inhibit the recruitment of reef-building corals, leading to a persistent phase shift to a macroalgae-dominated state. Yet, corals may also inhibit colonization by macroalgae, and thus the effects of herbivores on algal communities may be strongest following disturbances that reduce coral cover. Here, we report results from experiments conducted on the fore reef of Moorea, French Polynesia, where we: 1) tested the ability of macroalgae to invade coral-dominated and coral-depauperate communities under different levels of herbivory, 2) explored the ability of juvenile corals (Pocillopora spp.) to suppress macroalgae, and 3) quantified the direct and indirect effects of fish herbivores and corallivores on juvenile corals. We found that macroalgae proliferated when herbivory was low but only in recently disturbed communities where coral cover was also low. When coral cover was < 10%, macroalgae increased 20-fold within one year under reduced herbivory conditions relative to high herbivory controls. Yet, when coral cover was high (50%), macroalgae were suppressed irrespective of the level of herbivory despite ample space for algal colonization. Once established in communities with low herbivory and low coral cover, macroalgae suppressed recruitment of coral larvae, reducing the capacity for coral replenishment. However, when we experimentally established small juvenile corals (2 cm diameter) following a disturbance, juvenile corals inhibited macroalgae from invading local neighborhoods, even in the absence of herbivores, indicating a strong priority effect in macroalgae-coral interactions. Surprisingly, fishes that initially facilitated coral recruitment by controlling algae had a net negative effect on juvenile corals via predation. Corallivores reduced growth rates of corals exposed to fishes by ~ 30% relative to fish exclosures despite increased competition with macroalgae within the exclosures. These results highlight that different processes are important for structuring coral reef ecosystems at different successional stages and underscore the need to consider multiple ecological processes and historical contingencies to predict coral community dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas C Adam
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Sally J Holbrook
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA.,Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Deron E Burkepile
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA.,Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Kelly E Speare
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Andrew J Brooks
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Mark C Ladd
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA.,NOAA - National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Key Biscayne, FL, USA
| | - Andrew A Shantz
- Florida State University Coastal and Marine Laboratory, St. Teresa, FL, USA
| | | | - Russell J Schmitt
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA.,Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
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Predictable Changes in Eelgrass Microbiomes with Increasing Wasting Disease Prevalence across 23° Latitude in the Northeastern Pacific. mSystems 2022; 7:e0022422. [PMID: 35856664 PMCID: PMC9426469 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00224-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Predicting outcomes of marine disease outbreaks presents a challenge in the face of both global and local stressors. Host-associated microbiomes may play important roles in disease dynamics but remain understudied in marine ecosystems. Host–pathogen–microbiome interactions can vary across host ranges, gradients of disease, and temperature; studying these relationships may aid our ability to forecast disease dynamics. Eelgrass, Zostera marina, is impacted by outbreaks of wasting disease caused by the opportunistic pathogen Labyrinthula zosterae. We investigated how Z. marina phyllosphere microbial communities vary with rising wasting disease lesion prevalence and severity relative to plant and meadow characteristics like shoot density, longest leaf length, and temperature across 23° latitude in the Northeastern Pacific. We detected effects of geography (11%) and smaller, but distinct, effects of temperature (30-day max sea surface temperature, 4%) and disease (lesion prevalence, 3%) on microbiome composition. Declines in alpha diversity on asymptomatic tissue occurred with rising wasting disease prevalence within meadows. However, no change in microbiome variability (dispersion) was detected between asymptomatic and symptomatic tissues. Further, we identified members of Cellvibrionaceae, Colwelliaceae, and Granulosicoccaceae on asymptomatic tissue that are predictive of wasting disease prevalence across the geographic range (3,100 kilometers). Functional roles of Colwelliaceae and Granulosicoccaceae are not known. Cellvibrionaceae, degraders of plant cellulose, were also enriched in lesions and adjacent green tissue relative to nonlesioned leaves. Cellvibrionaceae may play important roles in disease progression by degrading host tissues or overwhelming plant immune responses. Thus, inclusion of microbiomes in wasting disease studies may improve our ability to understand variable rates of infection, disease progression, and plant survival. IMPORTANCE The roles of marine microbiomes in disease remain poorly understood due, in part, to the challenging nature of sampling at appropriate spatiotemporal scales and across natural gradients of disease throughout host ranges. This is especially true for marine vascular plants like eelgrass (Zostera marina) that are vital for ecosystem function and biodiversity but are susceptible to rapid decline and die-off from pathogens like eukaryotic slime-mold Labyrinthula zosterae (wasting disease). We link bacterial members of phyllosphere tissues to the prevalence of wasting disease across the broadest geographic range to date for a marine plant microbiome-disease study (3,100 km). We identify Cellvibrionaceae, plant cell wall degraders, enriched (up to 61% relative abundance) within lesion tissue, which suggests this group may be playing important roles in disease progression. These findings suggest inclusion of microbiomes in marine disease studies will improve our ability to predict ecological outcomes of infection across variable landscapes spanning thousands of kilometers.
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53
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Siro G, Pipite A, Christi K, Srinivasan S, Subramani R. Marine Actinomycetes Associated with Stony Corals: A Potential Hotspot for Specialized Metabolites. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10071349. [PMID: 35889068 PMCID: PMC9319285 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10071349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial secondary metabolites are an important source of antibiotics currently available for combating drug-resistant pathogens. These important secondary metabolites are produced by various microorganisms, including Actinobacteria. Actinobacteria have a colossal genome with a wide array of genes that code for several bioactive metabolites and enzymes. Numerous studies have reported the isolation and screening of millions of strains of actinomycetes from various habitats for specialized metabolites worldwide. Looking at the extent of the importance of actinomycetes in various fields, corals are highlighted as a potential hotspot for untapped secondary metabolites and new bioactive metabolites. Unfortunately, knowledge about the diversity, distribution and biochemistry of marine actinomycetes compared to hard corals is limited. In this review, we aim to summarize the recent knowledge on the isolation, diversity, distribution and discovery of natural compounds from marine actinomycetes associated with hard corals. A total of 11 new species of actinomycetes, representing nine different families of actinomycetes, were recovered from hard corals during the period from 2007 to 2022. In addition, this study examined a total of 13 new compounds produced by five genera of actinomycetes reported from 2017 to 2022 with antibacterial, antifungal and cytotoxic activities. Coral-derived actinomycetes have different mechanisms of action against their competitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Galana Siro
- School of Agriculture, Geography, Environment, Ocean and Natural Sciences (SAGEONS), The University of the South Pacific, Laucala Campus, Suva, Fiji; (G.S.); (K.C.); (R.S.)
| | - Atanas Pipite
- School of Agriculture, Geography, Environment, Ocean and Natural Sciences (SAGEONS), The University of the South Pacific, Laucala Campus, Suva, Fiji; (G.S.); (K.C.); (R.S.)
- Correspondence: (A.P.); or (S.S.)
| | - Ketan Christi
- School of Agriculture, Geography, Environment, Ocean and Natural Sciences (SAGEONS), The University of the South Pacific, Laucala Campus, Suva, Fiji; (G.S.); (K.C.); (R.S.)
| | - Sathiyaraj Srinivasan
- Department of Bio & Environmental Technology, Division of Environmental & Life Science, College of Natural Science, Seoul Women’s University, 623 Hwarangno, Nowon-gu, Seoul 01797, Korea
- Correspondence: (A.P.); or (S.S.)
| | - Ramesh Subramani
- School of Agriculture, Geography, Environment, Ocean and Natural Sciences (SAGEONS), The University of the South Pacific, Laucala Campus, Suva, Fiji; (G.S.); (K.C.); (R.S.)
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54
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Williams SD, Klinges JG, Zinman S, Clark AS, Bartels E, Villoch Diaz Maurino M, Muller EM. Geographically driven differences in microbiomes of Acropora cervicornis originating from different regions of Florida's Coral Reef. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13574. [PMID: 35729906 PMCID: PMC9206844 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Effective coral restoration must include comprehensive investigations of the targeted coral community that consider all aspects of the coral holobiont-the coral host, symbiotic algae, and microbiome. For example, the richness and composition of microorganisms associated with corals may be indicative of the corals' health status and thus help guide restoration activities. Potential differences in microbiomes of restoration corals due to differences in host genetics, environmental condition, or geographic location, may then influence outplant success. The objective of the present study was to characterize and compare the microbiomes of apparently healthy Acropora cervicornis genotypes that were originally collected from environmentally distinct regions of Florida's Coral Reef and sampled after residing within Mote Marine Laboratory's in situ nursery near Looe Key, FL (USA) for multiple years. By using 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing, we described the microbial communities of 74 A. cervicornis genotypes originating from the Lower Florida Keys (n = 40 genotypes), the Middle Florida Keys (n = 15 genotypes), and the Upper Florida Keys (n = 19 genotypes). Our findings demonstrated that the bacterial communities of A. cervicornis originating from the Lower Keys were significantly different from the bacterial communities of those originating from the Upper and Middle Keys even after these corals were held within the same common garden nursery for an average of 3.4 years. However, the bacterial communities of corals originating in the Upper Keys were not significantly different from those in the Middle Keys. The majority of the genotypes, regardless of collection region, were dominated by Alphaproteobacteria, namely an obligate intracellular parasite of the genus Ca. Aquarickettsia. Genotypes from the Upper and Middle Keys also had high relative abundances of Spirochaeta bacteria. Several genotypes originating from both the Lower and Upper Keys had lower abundances of Aquarickettsia, resulting in significantly higher species richness and diversity. Low abundance of Aquarickettsia has been previously identified as a signature of disease resistance. While the low-Aquarickettsia corals from both the Upper and Lower Keys had high abundances of an unclassified Proteobacteria, the genotypes in the Upper Keys were also dominated by Spirochaeta. The results of this study suggest that the abundance of Aquarickettsia and Spirochaeta may play an important role in distinguishing bacterial communities among A. cervicornis populations and compositional differences of these bacterial communities may be driven by regional processes that are influenced by both the environmental history and genetic relatedness of the host. Additionally, the high microbial diversity of low-Aquarickettsia genotypes may provide resilience to their hosts, and these genotypes may be a potential resource for restoration practices and management.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - J. Grace Klinges
- Mote Marine Laboratory, Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research & Restoration, Summerland Key, FL, United States of America
| | - Samara Zinman
- Nova Southeastern University, Dania Beach, FL, United States of America
| | - Abigail S. Clark
- Mote Marine Laboratory, Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research & Restoration, Summerland Key, FL, United States of America,The College of the Florida Keys, Key West, FL, United States of America
| | - Erich Bartels
- Mote Marine Laboratory, Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research & Restoration, Summerland Key, FL, United States of America
| | - Marina Villoch Diaz Maurino
- Mote Marine Laboratory, Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research & Restoration, Summerland Key, FL, United States of America
| | - Erinn M. Muller
- Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, FL, United States of America
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55
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Microbiome Restructuring: Dominant Coral Bacterium Endozoicomonas Species Respond Differentially to Environmental Changes. mSystems 2022; 7:e0035922. [PMID: 35703535 PMCID: PMC9426584 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00359-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria in the coral microbiome play a crucial role in determining coral health and fitness, and the coral host often restructures its microbiome composition in response to external factors. An important but often neglected factor determining this microbiome restructuring is the ability of microbiome members to respond to changes in the environment. To address this issue, we examined how the microbiome structure of Acropora muricata corals changed over 9 months following a reciprocal transplant experiment. Using a combination of metabarcoding, genomics, and comparative genomics approaches, we found that coral colonies separated by a small distance harbored different dominant Endozoicomonas-related phylotypes belonging to two different species, including a novel species, “Candidatus Endozoicomonas penghunesis” 4G, whose chromosome-level (complete) genome was also sequenced in this study. Furthermore, the two dominant Endozoicomonas species had different potentials to scavenge reactive oxygen species, suggesting potential differences in responding to the environment. Differential capabilities of dominant members of the microbiome to respond to environmental change can (i) provide distinct advantages or disadvantages to coral hosts when subjected to changing environmental conditions and (ii) have positive or negative implications for future reefs. IMPORTANCE The coral microbiome has been known to play a crucial role in host health. In recent years, we have known that the coral microbiome changes in response to external stressors and that coral hosts structure their microbiome in a host-specific manner. However, an important internal factor, the ability of microbiome members to respond to change, has been often neglected. In this study, we combine metabarcoding, culturing, and genomics to delineate the differential ability of two dominant Endozoicomonas species, including a novel “Ca. Endozoicomonas penghunesis” 4G, to respond to change in the environment following a reciprocal transplant experiment.
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56
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Bednarz VN, Choyke S, Marangoni LFB, Otto EI, Béraud E, Metian M, Tolosa I, Ferrier-Pagès C. Acute exposure to perfluorooctane sulfonate exacerbates heat-induced oxidative stress in a tropical coral species. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 302:119054. [PMID: 35219792 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is among the most commonly per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) found in environmental samples. Nevertheless, the effect of this legacy persistent organic contaminant has never been investigated on corals to date. Corals are the keystone organisms of coral reef ecosystems and sensitive to rising ocean temperatures, but it is not understood how the combination of elevated temperature and PFOS exposure will affect them. Therefore, the aims of the present study were (1) to evaluate the time-dependent bioconcentration and depuration of PFOS in the scleractinian coral Stylophora pistillata using a range of PFOS exposure concentrations, and (2) to assess the individual and combined effects of PFOS exposure and elevated seawater temperature on key physiological parameters of the corals. Our results show that the coral S. pistillata rapidly bioconcentrates PFOS from the seawater and eliminates it 14 days after ceasing the exposure. We also observed an antagonistic effect between elevated temperature and PFOS exposure. Indeed, a significantly reduced PFOS bioconcentration was observed at high temperature, likely due to a loss of symbionts and a higher removal of mucus compared to ambient temperature. Finally, concentrations of PFOS consistent with ranges observed in surface waters were non-lethal to corals, in the absence of other stressors. However, PFOS increased lipid peroxidation in coral tissue, which is an indicator of oxidative stress and enhanced the thermal stress-induced impairment of coral physiology. This study provides valuable insights into the combined effects of PFOS exposure and ocean warming for coral's physiology. PFOS is usually the most prevalent but not the only PFAS defected in reef waters, and thus it will be also important to monitor PFAS mixture concentrations in the oceans and to study their combined effects on aquatic wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- V N Bednarz
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Marine Biology Department, 8 Quai Antoine 1er, MC-98000, Monaco, Monaco.
| | - S Choyke
- International Atomic Energy Agency, Environment Laboratories, 4a Quai Antoine 1er, MC-98000, Monaco, Monaco
| | - L F B Marangoni
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Marine Biology Department, 8 Quai Antoine 1er, MC-98000, Monaco, Monaco; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Ciudad de Panama, 0843-03092, Panama
| | - E I Otto
- Palau International Coral Reef Center, 1 M-Dock Road, P.O. Box 7086, Koror, 96940, Palau
| | - E Béraud
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Marine Biology Department, 8 Quai Antoine 1er, MC-98000, Monaco, Monaco
| | - M Metian
- International Atomic Energy Agency, Environment Laboratories, 4a Quai Antoine 1er, MC-98000, Monaco, Monaco
| | - I Tolosa
- International Atomic Energy Agency, Environment Laboratories, 4a Quai Antoine 1er, MC-98000, Monaco, Monaco
| | - C Ferrier-Pagès
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Marine Biology Department, 8 Quai Antoine 1er, MC-98000, Monaco, Monaco
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57
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Huntley N, Brandt ME, Becker CC, Miller CA, Meiling SS, Correa AMS, Holstein DM, Muller EM, Mydlarz LD, Smith TB, Apprill A. Experimental transmission of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease results in differential microbial responses within coral mucus and tissue. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2022; 2:46. [PMID: 37938315 PMCID: PMC9723713 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-022-00126-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Abstract
Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) is a widespread and deadly disease that affects nearly half of Caribbean coral species. To understand the microbial community response to this disease, we performed a disease transmission experiment on US Virgin Island (USVI) corals, exposing six species of coral with varying susceptibility to SCTLD. The microbial community of the surface mucus and tissue layers were examined separately using a small subunit ribosomal RNA gene-based sequencing approach, and data were analyzed to identify microbial community shifts following disease acquisition, potential causative pathogens, as well as compare microbiota composition to field-based corals from the USVI and Florida outbreaks. While all species displayed similar microbiome composition with disease acquisition, microbiome similarity patterns differed by both species and mucus or tissue microhabitat. Further, disease exposed but not lesioned corals harbored a mucus microbial community similar to those showing disease signs, suggesting that mucus may serve as an early warning detection for the onset of SCTLD. Like other SCTLD studies in Florida, Rhodobacteraceae, Arcobacteraceae, Desulfovibrionaceae, Peptostreptococcaceae, Fusibacter, Marinifilaceae, and Vibrionaceae dominated diseased corals. This study demonstrates the differential response of the mucus and tissue microorganisms to SCTLD and suggests that mucus microorganisms may be diagnostic for early disease exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi Huntley
- Center for Marine and Environmental Studies, University of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, USVI, USA
- Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - Marilyn E Brandt
- Center for Marine and Environmental Studies, University of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, USVI, USA
| | - Cynthia C Becker
- Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA
- MIT-WHOI Joint Program in Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science and Engineering, Cambridge and Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - Carolyn A Miller
- Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - Sonora S Meiling
- Center for Marine and Environmental Studies, University of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, USVI, USA
| | | | - Daniel M Holstein
- Department of Oceanography and Coastal Science, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | | | - Laura D Mydlarz
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Tyler B Smith
- Center for Marine and Environmental Studies, University of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, USVI, USA
| | - Amy Apprill
- Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA.
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58
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Cowen LJ, Putnam HM. Bioinformatics of Corals: Investigating Heterogeneous Omics Data from Coral Holobionts for Insight into Reef Health and Resilience. Annu Rev Biomed Data Sci 2022; 5:205-231. [PMID: 35537462 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biodatasci-122120-030732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Coral reefs are home to over two million species and provide habitat for roughly 25% of all marine animals, but they are being severely threatened by pollution and climate change. A large amount of genomic, transcriptomic, and other omics data is becoming increasingly available from different species of reef-building corals, the unicellular dinoflagellates, and the coral microbiome (bacteria, archaea, viruses, fungi, etc.). Such new data present an opportunity for bioinformatics researchers and computational biologists to contribute to a timely, compelling, and urgent investigation of critical factors that influence reef health and resilience. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Biomedical Data Science, Volume 5 is August 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenore J Cowen
- Department of Computer Science, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA;
| | - Hollie M Putnam
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA;
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59
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Wood G, Steinberg PD, Campbell AH, Vergés A, Coleman MA, Marzinelli EM. Host genetics, phenotype and geography structure the microbiome of a foundational seaweed. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:2189-2206. [PMID: 35104026 PMCID: PMC9540321 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Interactions between hosts and their microbiota are vital to the functioning and resilience of macro-organisms. Critically, for hosts that play foundational roles in communities, understanding what drives host-microbiota interactions is essential for informing ecosystem restoration and conservation. We investigated the relative influence of host traits and the surrounding environment on microbial communities associated with the foundational seaweed Phyllospora comosa. We quantified 16 morphological and functional phenotypic traits, including host genetics (using 354 single nucleotide polymorphisms) and surface-associated microbial communities (using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing) from 160 individuals sampled from eight sites spanning Phyllospora's entire latitudinal distribution (1,300 km). Combined, these factors explained 54% of the overall variation in Phyllospora's associated microbial community structure, much of which was related to the local environment (~32%). We found that putative "core" microbial taxa (i.e., present on all Phyllospora individuals sampled) exhibited slightly higher associations with host traits when compared to "variable" taxa (not present on all individuals). We identified several key genetic loci and phenotypic traits in Phyllospora that were strongly related to multiple microbial amplicon sequence variants, including taxa with known associations to seaweed defence, disease and tissue degradation. This information on how host-associated microbial communities vary with host traits and the environment enhances our current understanding of how "holobionts" (hosts plus their microbiota) are structured. Such understanding can be used to inform management strategies of these important and vulnerable habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgina Wood
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesThe University of SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- Centre for Marine Science and InnovationSchool of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUNSW SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Peter D. Steinberg
- Centre for Marine Science and InnovationSchool of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUNSW SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- Sydney Institute of Marine ScienceSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences EngineeringNanyang Technological UniversitySingaporeSingapore
| | - Alexandra H. Campbell
- USC Seaweed Research GroupUniversity of the Sunshine CoastSunshine CoastQueenslandAustralia
| | - Adriana Vergés
- Centre for Marine Science and InnovationSchool of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUNSW SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Melinda A. Coleman
- Department of Primary IndustriesNational Marine Science CentreCoffs HarbourNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Ezequiel M. Marzinelli
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesThe University of SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- Sydney Institute of Marine ScienceSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences EngineeringNanyang Technological UniversitySingaporeSingapore
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60
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Zhu W, Liu X, Zhu M, Li X, Yin H, Huang J, Wang A, Li X. Responses of Symbiodiniaceae Shuffling and Microbial Community Assembly in Thermally Stressed Acropora hyacinthus. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:832081. [PMID: 35432258 PMCID: PMC9010789 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.832081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the importance of coral holobionts is widely accepted, the relationship between the flexibility of the microbial structure and the coral host is very complicated. Particularly, the community dynamics of holobionts and the stability of host–microbe interactions under different thermal stresses remain largely unknown. In the present study, we holistically explored the physiology and growth of Acropora hyacinthus in response to increased temperatures (from 26 to 33°C). We observed that bleaching corals with loss of algal symbionts reduced lipids and proteins to maintain their survival, leading to decreased tissue biomass and retarded growth. The diversity of Symbiodiniaceae and symbiont shuffling in the community structure was mainly caused by alterations in the relative abundance of the thermally sensitive but dominant clade C symbionts and low abundance of “background types.” Bacterial diversity showed a decreasing trend with increasing temperature, whereas no significant shifts were observed in the bacterial community structure. This finding might be attributed to the local adjustment of specific microbial community members that did not affect the overall metabolic state of the coral holobiont, and there was no increase in the proportion of sequences identified as typically pathogenic or opportunistic taxa. The Sloan neutral community model showed that neutral processes could explain 42.37–58.43% of bacterial community variation. The Stegen null model analysis indicates that the stochastic processes explain a significantly higher proportion of community assembly than deterministic processes when the temperature was elevated. The weak effect of temperature on the bacterial community structure and assembly might be related to an increase in stochastic dominance. The interaction of bacterial communities exhibits a fluctuating and simplistic trend with increasing temperature. Moreover, temperature increases were sufficient to establish the high stability of bacterial networks, and a non-linear response was found between the complexity and stability of the networks. Our findings collectively provide new insights into successive changes in the scleractinian coral host and holobionts in response to elevated seawater temperatures, especially the contribution of the community assembly process and species coexistence patterns to the maintenance of the coral-associated bacterial community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wentao Zhu
- College of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, Haikou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Xiangbo Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, China
- College of Marine Science, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Ming Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, China
- College of Marine Science, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Xinke Li
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, China
- College of Marine Science, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Hongyang Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, China
- College of Marine Science, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Jianzhong Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, China
- College of Marine Science, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Aimin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, China
- College of Marine Science, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Xiubao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, China
- College of Marine Science, Hainan University, Haikou, China
- *Correspondence: Xiubao Li,
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61
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Holbrook SJ, Wencélius J, Dubel AK, Adam TC, Cook DC, Hunter CE, Lauer M, Lester SE, Miller SD, Rassweiler A, Schmitt RJ. Spatial covariation in nutrient enrichment and fishing of herbivores in an oceanic coral reef ecosystem. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2515. [PMID: 34918841 PMCID: PMC9285716 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Both natural and anthropogenic stressors are increasing on coral reefs, resulting in large-scale loss of coral and potential shifts from coral- to macroalgae-dominated community states. Two factors implicated in shifts to macroalgae are nutrient enrichment and fishing of reef herbivores. Although either of these factors alone could facilitate establishment of macroalgae, reefs may be particularly vulnerable to coral-to-algae phase shifts in which strong bottom-up forcing from nutrient enrichment is accompanied by a weakening of herbivore control of macroalgae via intense fishing. We explored spatial heterogeneity and covariance in these drivers on reefs in the lagoons of Moorea, French Polynesia, where the local fishery heavily targets herbivorous fishes and there are spatially variable inputs of nutrients from agricultural fertilizers and wastewater systems. Spatial patterns of fishing and nutrient enrichment were not correlated at the two landscape scales we examined: among the 11 interconnected lagoons around the island or among major habitats (fringing reef, mid-lagoon, back reef) within a lagoon. This decoupling at the landscape scale resulted from patterns of covariation between enrichment and fishing that differed qualitatively between cross-shore and long-shore directions. At the cross-shore scale, nutrient enrichment declined but fishing increased from shore to the crest of the barrier reef. By contrast, nutrient enrichment and fishing were positively correlated in the long-shore direction, with both increasing with proximity to a pass in the barrier reef. Contrary to widespread assumptions in the scientific literature that human coastal population density correlates with impact on marine ecosystems and that fishing effort declines linearly with distance from the shore, these local stressors produced a complex spatial mosaic of reef vulnerabilities. Our findings support spatially explicit management involving the control of anthropogenic nutrients and strategic reductions in fishing pressure on herbivores by highlighting specific areas to target for management actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally J. Holbrook
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine BiologyUniversity of CaliforniaSanta BarbaraCaliforniaUSA
- Marine Science InstituteUniversity of CaliforniaSanta BarbaraCaliforniaUSA
| | - Jean Wencélius
- Department of AnthropologySan Diego State UniversitySan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Alexandra K. Dubel
- Department of Biological ScienceFlorida State UniversityTallahasseeFloridaUSA
| | - Thomas C. Adam
- Marine Science InstituteUniversity of CaliforniaSanta BarbaraCaliforniaUSA
| | - Dana C. Cook
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine BiologyUniversity of CaliforniaSanta BarbaraCaliforniaUSA
- Marine Science InstituteUniversity of CaliforniaSanta BarbaraCaliforniaUSA
| | - Chelsea E. Hunter
- Department of AnthropologySan Diego State UniversitySan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
- Department of AnthropologyThe Ohio State UniversityColumbusOhioUSA
| | - Matthew Lauer
- Department of AnthropologySan Diego State UniversitySan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Sarah E. Lester
- Department of GeographyFlorida State UniversityTallahasseeFloridaUSA
| | - Scott D. Miller
- Department of Biological ScienceFlorida State UniversityTallahasseeFloridaUSA
| | - Andrew Rassweiler
- Department of Biological ScienceFlorida State UniversityTallahasseeFloridaUSA
| | - Russell J. Schmitt
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine BiologyUniversity of CaliforniaSanta BarbaraCaliforniaUSA
- Marine Science InstituteUniversity of CaliforniaSanta BarbaraCaliforniaUSA
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62
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Henley EM, Bouwmeester J, Jury CP, Toonen RJ, Quinn M, Lager CV, Hagedorn M. Growth and survival among Hawaiian corals outplanted from tanks to an ocean nursery are driven by individual genotype and species differences rather than preconditioning to thermal stress. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13112. [PMID: 35345587 PMCID: PMC8957268 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The drastic decline in coral coverage has stimulated an interest in reef restoration, and various iterations of coral nurseries have been used to augment restoration strategies. Here we examine the growth of two species of Hawaiian Montipora that were maintained in mesocosms under either ambient or warmed annual bleaching conditions for two consecutive years prior to outplanting to determine whether preconditioning aided coral restoration efforts. Using coral trees to create a nearby ocean nursery, we examined whether: (1) previous ex situ mesocosm growth would mirror in situ coral tree nursery growth; and (2) thermal ex situ stress-hardening would predict future success during natural warming events in situ for corals moved from tanks to trees. For Montipora capitata, we found that variation in growth was explained primarily by genotype; growth rates in the mesocosms were similar to those in situ, irrespective of preconditioning. Variation in M. flabellata growth, however, was explained by both genotype and culture method such that an individual M. flabellata colony that grew well in the tanks did not necessarily perform as well on the coral trees. For both species, previous exposure to elevated temperatures in the mesocosms provided no benefit to either growth or survival during a warming event in the coral tree nursery compared to those grown in ambient temperatures. Overall, M. capitata performed better in the tree nursery with higher net growth, lower mortality, and was subject to less predation than M. flabellata. Our results show little benefit of the additional cost and time of stress-hardening these corals prior to outplanting because it is unlikely to aid resilience to future warming events. These results also suggest that selecting corals for restoration based on long-term genotype growth performance may be more effective for optimal outcomes but should be weighed against other factors, such as coral morphology, in situ nursery method, location, and other characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Michael Henley
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Front Royal, Virginia, United States,Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Kāne‘ohe, Hawai‘i, United States
| | - Jessica Bouwmeester
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Front Royal, Virginia, United States,Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Kāne‘ohe, Hawai‘i, United States
| | - Christopher P. Jury
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Kāne‘ohe, Hawai‘i, United States
| | - Robert J. Toonen
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Kāne‘ohe, Hawai‘i, United States
| | - Mariko Quinn
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Front Royal, Virginia, United States,Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Kāne‘ohe, Hawai‘i, United States
| | - Claire V.A. Lager
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Front Royal, Virginia, United States,Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Kāne‘ohe, Hawai‘i, United States
| | - Mary Hagedorn
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Front Royal, Virginia, United States,Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Kāne‘ohe, Hawai‘i, United States
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63
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Milne R, Bauch CT, Anand M. Local Overfishing Patterns Have Regional Effects on Health of Coral, and Economic Transitions Can Promote Its Recovery. Bull Math Biol 2022; 84:46. [PMID: 35182222 DOI: 10.1007/s11538-022-01000-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Overfishing has the potential to severely disrupt coral reef ecosystems worldwide, while harvesting at more sustainable levels instead can boost fish yield without damaging reefs. The dispersal abilities of reef species mean that coral reefs form highly connected environments, and the viability of reef fish populations depends on spatially explicit processes such as the spillover effect and unauthorized harvesting inside marine protected areas. However, much of the literature on coral conservation and management has only examined overfishing on a local scale, without considering how different spatial patterns of fishing levels can affect reef health both locally and regionally. Here, we simulate a coupled human-environment model to determine how coral and herbivorous reef fish respond to overfishing across multiple spatial scales. We find that coral and reef fish react in opposite ways to habitat fragmentation driven by overfishing, and that a potential spillover effect from marine protected areas into overfished patches helps coral populations far less than it does reef fish. We also show that ongoing economic transitions from fishing to tourism have the potential to revive fish and coral populations over a relatively short timescale, and that large-scale reef recovery is possible even if these transitions only occur locally. Our results show the importance of considering spatial dynamics in marine conservation efforts and demonstrate the ability of economic factors to cause regime shifts in human-environment systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell Milne
- Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada. .,School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
| | - Chris T Bauch
- Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada.,School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Madhur Anand
- Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada.,School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
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64
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Qi Z, Diao X, Yang T, Zeng R, Wang H, Zhou H. Spatial and interspecific differences in coral-associated bacterial diversity in Hainan, China. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 175:113321. [PMID: 35149312 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Coral reefs are suffering from environmental change and anthropogenic disturbances. It is well known that microbes play an indispensable role in the stable state of coral reef health. Furthermore, the coral reef microbial database helps to understand the connections among microbiomes shifts and ecosystem stress. Hainan Province is the main coral reef distribution area in China. Therefore, targeted microbial reference information from Hainan, including several coral microbiomes, was generated by 16S rRNA gene sequencing in this study. This study focused on a small range of coral-associated bacterial information and found a relationship between microbes and the surrounding environment based on coral interspecific and environmental factors. Interestingly, compared with species, the differences of bacterial community structures are best explained by site. It seems that various environmental factors contribute more to the microbial structure of corals than interspecific influences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhao Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; College of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Xiaoping Diao
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; College of Life Science, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China.
| | - Tinghan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; College of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Ruohan Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; College of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Haihua Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; College of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Hailong Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; College of Life Sciences and Pharmacy, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
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65
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Klinges JG, Patel SH, Duke WC, Muller EM, Vega Thurber RL. OUP accepted manuscript. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2022; 98:6528370. [PMID: 35157069 PMCID: PMC8902694 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiac013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Nutrient pollution is linked to coral disease susceptibility and severity, but the mechanism behind this effect remains underexplored. A recently identified bacterial species, ‘Ca. Aquarickettsia rohweri,’ is hypothesized to parasitize the Caribbean staghorn coral, Acropora cervicornis, leading to reduced coral growth and increased disease susceptibility. Aquarickettsia rohweri is hypothesized to assimilate host metabolites and ATP and was previously demonstrated to be highly nutrient-responsive. As nutrient enrichment is a pervasive issue in the Caribbean, this study examined the effects of common nutrient pollutants (nitrate, ammonium, and phosphate) on a disease-susceptible genotype of A. cervicornis. Microbial diversity was found to decline over the course of the experiment in phosphate-, nitrate-, and combined-treated samples, and quantitative PCR indicated that Aquarickettsia abundance increased significantly across all treatments. Only treatments amended with phosphate, however, exhibited a significant shift in Aquarickettsia abundance relative to other taxa. Furthermore, corals exposed to phosphate had significantly lower linear extension than untreated or nitrate-treated corals after 3 weeks of nutrient exposure. Together these data suggest that while experimental tank conditions, with an elevated nutrient regime associated with coastal waters, increased total bacterial abundance, only the addition of phosphate significantly altered the ratios of Aquarickettsia compared to other members of the microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Grace Klinges
- Corresponding author: Mote Marine Laboratory International Center for Coral Reef Research and Restoration, 24244 Overseas Hwy, Summerland Key, FL 33042, USA. Tel: +(941) 504-3801; E-mail:
| | - Shalvi H Patel
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, 226 Nash Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - William C Duke
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, 226 Nash Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Erinn M Muller
- Mote Marine Laboratory International Center for Coral Reef Research and Restoration, 24244 Overseas Hwy, Summerland Key, FL 33042, USA
- Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Pkwy, Sarasota, FL 34236, USA
| | - Rebecca L Vega Thurber
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, 226 Nash Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
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66
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Panelo J, Wiegner TN, Colbert SL, Goldberg S, Abaya LM, Conklin E, Couch C, Falinski K, Gove J, Watson L, Wiggins C. Spatial distribution and sources of nutrients at two coastal developments in South Kohala, Hawai'i. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 174:113143. [PMID: 34971985 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.113143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Nutrient sources to coastal waters with coral reefs are not well-characterized. This study documented spatial distributions of nutrients within coastal waters along two developments with coral reefs, and identified nutrient sources through nutrient mixing plots, δ15N measurements in macroalgal tissue, and NO3- stable isotope mixing models. Nutrients decreased from fresh groundwaters to offshore waters, with some surface waters higher in concentrations than benthic ones. Conservative and non-conservative mixing between fresh and ocean waters occurred, the latter suggestive of local nutrient sources and biological removal. δ15N in macroalgal tissue and NO3- concurred that fresh groundwater, ocean water, and fertilizers were dominant nutrient sources. Benthic salinity and NO3- + NO2- concentrations illustrated that submarine groundwater discharge delivered nutrients to reefs in pulses ranging from minutes to days. Information generated from this study is imperative for developing management actions to improve water quality and make coral reefs more resilient to stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jazmine Panelo
- Tropical Conservation and Environmental Science Graduate Program, University of Hawai'i at Hilo, 200 W. Kawili St., Hilo, HI 96720, United States of America
| | - Tracy N Wiegner
- Marine Science Department, University of Hawai'i at Hilo, 200 W. Kawili St, Hilo, HI 96720, United States of America.
| | - Steven L Colbert
- Marine Science Department, University of Hawai'i at Hilo, 200 W. Kawili St, Hilo, HI 96720, United States of America
| | - Stuart Goldberg
- Habitat Conservation Division, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Inouye Regional Office, 1845 Wasp Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96818, United States of America
| | - Leilani M Abaya
- Marine Science Department, University of Hawai'i at Hilo, 200 W. Kawili St, Hilo, HI 96720, United States of America
| | - Eric Conklin
- The Nature Conservancy, Hawai'i, 923 Nu'uanu Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96817, United States of America
| | - Courtney Couch
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, 46-007 Lilipuna Road, Kāne'ohe, HI 96744, United States of America
| | - Kimberly Falinski
- The Nature Conservancy, Hawai'i, 923 Nu'uanu Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96817, United States of America
| | - Jamison Gove
- Ecosystem Sciences Division, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 1845 Wasp Blvd., Honolulu, HI 96818, United States of America
| | - Lani Watson
- Habitat Conservation Division, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Inouye Regional Office, 1845 Wasp Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96818, United States of America
| | - Chad Wiggins
- The Nature Conservancy, Hawai'i, 923 Nu'uanu Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96817, United States of America
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67
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Campos AB, Cavalcante LC, de Azevedo AR, Loiola M, Silva AET, Ara A, Meirelles PM. CPR and DPANN Have an Overlooked Role in Corals' Microbial Community Structure. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2022; 83:252-255. [PMID: 33758981 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-021-01737-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how microbial communities are structured in coral holobionts is important to estimate local and global impacts and provide efficient environment management strategies. Several studies investigated the relationship between corals and their microbial communities, including the environmental drivers of shifts in this relationship, associated with diseases and coral cover loss. However, these studies are often geographically or taxonomically restricted and usually focused on the most abundant microbial groups, neglecting the rare biosphere, including archaea in the group DPANN and the recently discovered bacterial members of the candidate phyla radiation (CPR). Although it is known that rare microbes can play essential roles in several environments, we still lack understanding about which taxa comprise the rare biosphere of corals' microbiome. Here, we investigated the host-related and technical factors influencing coral microbial community structure and the importance of CPR and DPANN in this context by analyzing more than a hundred coral metagenomes from independent studies worldwide. We show that coral genera are the main biotic factor shaping coral microbial communities. We also detected several CPR and DPANN phyla comprising corals' rare biosphere for the first time and showed that they significantly contribute to shaping coral microbial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Barreto Campos
- Institute of Biology, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
- National Institute for Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Studies in Ecology and Evolution (IN-TREE), Salvador, Brazil
| | | | - Arthur R de Azevedo
- Institute of Mathematics and Statistics, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
| | - Miguel Loiola
- Institute of Biology, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
| | - Amaro Emiliano Trindade Silva
- National Institute for Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Studies in Ecology and Evolution (IN-TREE), Salvador, Brazil
| | - Anderson Ara
- Institute of Mathematics and Statistics, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
| | - Pedro Milet Meirelles
- Institute of Biology, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil.
- National Institute for Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Studies in Ecology and Evolution (IN-TREE), Salvador, Brazil.
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68
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Silva DP, Epstein HE, Vega Thurber RL. Best practices for generating and analyzing 16S rRNA amplicon data to track coral microbiome dynamics. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1007877. [PMID: 36891260 PMCID: PMC9987214 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1007877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past two decades, researchers have searched for methods to better understand the relationship between coral hosts and their microbiomes. Data on how coral-associated bacteria are involved in their host's responses to stressors that cause bleaching, disease, and other deleterious effects can elucidate how they may mediate, ameliorate, and exacerbate interactions between the coral and the surrounding environment. At the same time tracking coral bacteria dynamics can reveal previously undiscovered mechanisms of coral resilience, acclimatization, and evolutionary adaptation. Although modern techniques have reduced the cost of conducting high-throughput sequencing of coral microbes, to explore the composition, function, and dynamics of coral-associated bacteria, it is necessary that the entire procedure, from collection to sequencing, and subsequent analysis be carried out in an objective and effective way. Corals represent a difficult host with which to work, and unique steps in the process of microbiome assessment are necessary to avoid inaccuracies or unusable data in microbiome libraries, such as off-target amplification of host sequences. Here, we review, compare and contrast, and recommend methods for sample collection, preservation, and processing (e.g., DNA extraction) pipelines to best generate 16S amplicon libraries with the aim of tracking coral microbiome dynamics. We also discuss some basic quality assurance and general bioinformatic methods to analyze the diversity, composition, and taxonomic profiles of the microbiomes. This review aims to be a generalizable guide for researchers interested in starting and modifying the molecular biology aspects of coral microbiome research, highlighting best practices and tricks of the trade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise P Silva
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Hannah E Epstein
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
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69
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Gao C, Garren M, Penn K, Fernandez VI, Seymour JR, Thompson JR, Raina JB, Stocker R. Coral mucus rapidly induces chemokinesis and genome-wide transcriptional shifts toward early pathogenesis in a bacterial coral pathogen. THE ISME JOURNAL 2021; 15:3668-3682. [PMID: 34168314 PMCID: PMC8630044 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-021-01024-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Elevated seawater temperatures have contributed to the rise of coral disease mediated by bacterial pathogens, such as the globally distributed Vibrio coralliilyticus, which utilizes coral mucus as a chemical cue to locate stressed corals. However, the physiological events in the pathogens that follow their entry into the coral host environment remain unknown. Here, we present simultaneous measurements of the behavioral and transcriptional responses of V. coralliilyticus BAA-450 incubated in coral mucus. Video microscopy revealed a strong and rapid chemokinetic behavioral response by the pathogen, characterized by a two-fold increase in average swimming speed within 6 min of coral mucus exposure. RNA sequencing showed that this bacterial behavior was accompanied by an equally rapid differential expression of 53% of the genes in the V. coralliilyticus genome. Specifically, transcript abundance 10 min after mucus exposure showed upregulation of genes involved in quorum sensing, biofilm formation, and nutrient metabolism, and downregulation of flagella synthesis and chemotaxis genes. After 60 min, we observed upregulation of genes associated with virulence, including zinc metalloproteases responsible for causing coral tissue damage and algal symbiont photoinactivation, and secretion systems that may export toxins. Together, our results suggest that V. coralliilyticus employs a suite of behavioral and transcriptional responses to rapidly shift into a distinct infection mode within minutes of exposure to the coral microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cherry Gao
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Ralph M. Parsons Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Melissa Garren
- Working Ocean Strategies LLC, Carmel, CA, USA
- Department of Applied Environmental Science, California State University Monterey Bay, Seaside, CA, USA
| | - Kevin Penn
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Ralph M. Parsons Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Vicente I Fernandez
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Justin R Seymour
- Climate Change Cluster (C3), University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
| | - Janelle R Thompson
- Singapore Center for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jean-Baptiste Raina
- Climate Change Cluster (C3), University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
| | - Roman Stocker
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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70
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Zhu W, Xia J, Ren Y, Xie M, Yin H, Liu X, Huang J, Zhu M, Li X. Coastal corals during heat stress and eutrophication: A case study in Northwest Hainan coastal areas. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2021; 173:113048. [PMID: 34678546 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.113048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
This study initially investigated the coral status during the unexpected bleaching event in three coastal areas in Northwest Hainan coastal areas and analyzed changes in coral holobionts of the healthy and bleached Galaxea fascicularis. Coral coverage had declined severely, and the bleaching rate was extremely high during heat stress. The bleached corals had lower maximum photosynthetic yield, actual photosynthetic yield, zooxanthellae density, and chlorophyll a content than the healthy G. fascicularis, but there was no significant difference in protein, carbohydrate and lipid in eutrophic waters. The diversity and community composition of Symbiodiniaceae and symbiotic bacteria between healthy and bleached G. fascicularis showed no difference. Function prediction of the symbiotic bacteria revealed that the metabolism process was the main pathway of annotation. Present findings suggested that energy reserve functioning and high stability of the holobiont structure and might provide opportunities to G. fascicularis to adapt to eutrophication and heat stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wentao Zhu
- College of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, Haikou, China; State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Jingquan Xia
- College of Marine Science, Hainan University, Haikou, China; State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Yuxiao Ren
- College of Marine Science, Hainan University, Haikou, China; State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Minrui Xie
- College of Marine Science, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Hongyang Yin
- College of Marine Science, Hainan University, Haikou, China; State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Xiangbo Liu
- College of Marine Science, Hainan University, Haikou, China; State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Jianzhong Huang
- College of Marine Science, Hainan University, Haikou, China; State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Ming Zhu
- College of Marine Science, Hainan University, Haikou, China; State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Xiubao Li
- College of Marine Science, Hainan University, Haikou, China; State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, China.
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71
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Remple KL, Silbiger NJ, Quinlan ZA, Fox MD, Kelly LW, Donahue MJ, Nelson CE. Coral reef biofilm bacterial diversity and successional trajectories are structured by reef benthic organisms and shift under chronic nutrient enrichment. NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes 2021; 7:84. [PMID: 34853316 PMCID: PMC8636626 DOI: 10.1038/s41522-021-00252-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Work on marine biofilms has primarily focused on host-associated habitats for their roles in larval recruitment and disease dynamics; little is known about the factors regulating the composition of reef environmental biofilms. To contrast the roles of succession, benthic communities and nutrients in structuring marine biofilms, we surveyed bacteria communities in biofilms through a six-week succession in aquaria containing macroalgae, coral, or reef sand factorially crossed with three levels of continuous nutrient enrichment. Our findings demonstrate how biofilm successional trajectories diverge from temporal dynamics of the bacterioplankton and how biofilms are structured by the surrounding benthic organisms and nutrient enrichment. We identify a suite of biofilm-associated bacteria linked with the orthogonal influences of corals, algae and nutrients and distinct from the overlying water. Our results provide a comprehensive characterization of marine biofilm successional dynamics and contextualize the impact of widespread changes in reef community composition and nutrient pollution on biofilm community structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina L. Remple
- grid.410445.00000 0001 2188 0957Daniel K. Inouye Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education, Department of Oceanography and Sea Grant College Program, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI USA
| | - Nyssa J. Silbiger
- grid.253563.40000 0001 0657 9381Department of Biology, California State University, Northridge, CA USA
| | - Zachary A. Quinlan
- grid.263081.e0000 0001 0790 1491Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA USA ,grid.266100.30000 0001 2107 4242Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, CA USA
| | - Michael D. Fox
- grid.56466.370000 0004 0504 7510Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA USA
| | - Linda Wegley Kelly
- grid.263081.e0000 0001 0790 1491Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA USA ,grid.266100.30000 0001 2107 4242Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, CA USA
| | - Megan J. Donahue
- grid.410445.00000 0001 2188 0957Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI USA
| | - Craig E. Nelson
- grid.410445.00000 0001 2188 0957Daniel K. Inouye Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education, Department of Oceanography and Sea Grant College Program, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI USA
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72
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Haydon TD, Seymour JR, Raina JB, Edmondson J, Siboni N, Matthews JL, Camp EF, Suggett DJ. Rapid Shifts in Bacterial Communities and Homogeneity of Symbiodiniaceae in Colonies of Pocillopora acuta Transplanted Between Reef and Mangrove Environments. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:756091. [PMID: 34759906 PMCID: PMC8575411 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.756091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
It has been proposed that an effective approach for predicting whether and how reef-forming corals persist under future climate change is to examine populations thriving in present day extreme environments, such as mangrove lagoons, where water temperatures can exceed those of reef environments by more than 3°C, pH levels are more acidic (pH < 7.9, often below 7.6) and O2 concentrations are regularly considered hypoxic (<2 mg/L). Defining the physiological features of these “extreme” corals, as well as their relationships with the, often symbiotic, organisms within their microbiome, could increase our understanding of how corals will persist into the future. To better understand coral-microbe relationships that potentially underpin coral persistence within extreme mangrove environments, we therefore conducted a 9-month reciprocal transplant experiment, whereby specimens of the coral Pocillopora acuta were transplanted between adjacent mangrove and reef sites on the northern Great Barrier Reef. Bacterial communities associated with P. acuta specimens native to the reef environment were dominated by Endozoicomonas, while Symbiodiniaceae communities were dominated by members of the Cladocopium genus. In contrast, P. acuta colonies native to the mangrove site exhibited highly diverse bacterial communities with no dominating members, and Symbiodiniaceae communities dominated by Durusdinium. All corals survived for 9 months after being transplanted from reef-to-mangrove, mangrove-to-reef environments (as well as control within environment transplants), and during this time there were significant changes in the bacterial communities, but not in the Symbiodiniaceae communities or their photo-physiological functioning. In reef-to-mangrove transplanted corals, there were varied, but sometimes rapid shifts in the associated bacterial communities, including a loss of “core” bacterial members after 9 months where coral bacterial communities began to resemble those of the native mangrove corals. Bacterial communities associated with mangrove-to-reef P. acuta colonies also changed from their original composition, but remained different to the native reef corals. Our data demonstrates that P. acuta associated bacterial communities are strongly influenced by changes in environmental conditions, whereas Symbiodiniaceae associated communities remain highly stable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trent D Haydon
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
| | - Justin R Seymour
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
| | | | | | - Nachshon Siboni
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Emma F Camp
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
| | - David J Suggett
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
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73
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Galbraith E, Convertino M. The Eco-Evo Mandala: Simplifying Bacterioplankton Complexity into Ecohealth Signatures. ENTROPY (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 23:1471. [PMID: 34828169 PMCID: PMC8625105 DOI: 10.3390/e23111471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 10/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The microbiome emits informative signals of biological organization and environmental pressure that aid ecosystem monitoring and prediction. Are the many signals reducible to a habitat-specific portfolio that characterizes ecosystem health? Does an optimally structured microbiome imply a resilient microbiome? To answer these questions, we applied our novel Eco-Evo Mandala to bacterioplankton data from four habitats within the Great Barrier Reef, to explore how patterns in community structure, function and genetics signal habitat-specific organization and departures from theoretical optimality. The Mandala revealed communities departing from optimality in habitat-specific ways, mostly along structural and functional traits related to bacterioplankton abundance and interaction distributions (reflected by ϵ and λ as power law and exponential distribution parameters), which are not linearly associated with each other. River and reef communities were similar in their relatively low abundance and interaction disorganization (low ϵ and λ) due to their protective structured habitats. On the contrary, lagoon and estuarine inshore reefs appeared the most disorganized due to the ocean temperature and biogeochemical stress. Phylogenetic distances (D) were minimally informative in characterizing bacterioplankton organization. However, dominant populations, such as Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Cyanobacteria, were largely responsible for community patterns, being generalists with a large functional gene repertoire (high D) that increases resilience. The relative balance of these populations was found to be habitat-specific and likely related to systemic environmental stress. The position on the Mandala along the three fundamental traits, as well as fluctuations in this ecological state, conveys information about the microbiome's health (and likely ecosystem health considering bacteria-based multitrophic dependencies) as divergence from the expected relative optimality. The Eco-Evo Mandala emphasizes how habitat and the microbiome's interaction network topology are first- and second-order factors for ecosystem health evaluation over taxonomic species richness. Unhealthy microbiome communities and unbalanced microbes are identified not by macroecological indicators but by mapping their impact on the collective proportion and distribution of interactions, which regulates the microbiome's ecosystem function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elroy Galbraith
- Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0814, Japan
| | - Matteo Convertino
- bluEco Lab, Institute of Environment and Ecology, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China;
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74
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Glasl B, Haskell JB, Aires T, Serrão EA, Bourne DG, Webster NS, Frade PR. Microbial Surface Biofilm Responds to the Growth-Reproduction-Senescence Cycle of the Dominant Coral Reef Macroalgae Sargassum spp. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11111199. [PMID: 34833075 PMCID: PMC8621314 DOI: 10.3390/life11111199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Macroalgae play an intricate role in microbial-mediated coral reef degradation processes due to the release of dissolved nutrients. However, temporal variabilities of macroalgal surface biofilms and their implication on the wider reef system remain poorly characterized. Here, we study the microbial biofilm of the dominant reef macroalgae Sargassum over a period of one year at an inshore Great Barrier Reef site (Magnetic Island, Australia). Monthly sampling of the Sargassum biofilm links the temporal taxonomic and putative functional metabolic microbiome changes, examined using 16S rRNA gene amplicon and metagenomic sequencing, to the pronounced growth-reproduction-senescence cycle of the host. Overall, the macroalgal biofilm was dominated by the heterotrophic phyla Firmicutes (35% ± 5.9% SD) and Bacteroidetes (12% ± 0.6% SD); their relative abundance ratio shifted significantly along the annual growth-reproduction-senescence cycle of Sargassum. For example, Firmicutes were 1.7 to 3.9 times more abundant during host growth and reproduction cycles than Bacteroidetes. Both phyla varied in their carbohydrate degradation capabilities; hence, temporal fluctuations in the carbohydrate availability are potentially linked to the observed shift. Dominant heterotrophic macroalgal biofilm members, such as Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, are implicated in exacerbating or ameliorating the release of dissolved nutrients into the ambient environment, though their contribution to microbial-mediated reef degradation processes remains to be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bettina Glasl
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Correspondence:
| | - Jasmine B. Haskell
- CCMAR-Centre of Marine Sciences, CIMAR, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal; (J.B.H.); (T.A.); (E.A.S.)
| | - Tania Aires
- CCMAR-Centre of Marine Sciences, CIMAR, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal; (J.B.H.); (T.A.); (E.A.S.)
| | - Ester A. Serrão
- CCMAR-Centre of Marine Sciences, CIMAR, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal; (J.B.H.); (T.A.); (E.A.S.)
| | - David G. Bourne
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville 4810, Australia
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville 4811, Australia;
| | - Nicole S. Webster
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville 4810, Australia
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
- Australian Antarctic Division, Hobart 7050, Australia;
| | - Pedro R. Frade
- CCMAR-Centre of Marine Sciences, CIMAR, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal; (J.B.H.); (T.A.); (E.A.S.)
- Zoological Department III, Natural History Museum Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria;
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75
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Regional High-Resolution Benthic Habitat Data from Planet Dove Imagery for Conservation Decision-Making and Marine Planning. REMOTE SENSING 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/rs13214215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
High-resolution benthic habitat data fill an important knowledge gap for many areas of the world and are essential for strategic marine conservation planning and implementing effective resource management. Many countries lack the resources and capacity to create these products, which has hindered the development of accurate ecological baselines for assessing protection needs for coastal and marine habitats and monitoring change to guide adaptive management actions. The PlanetScope (PS) Dove Classic SmallSat constellation delivers high-resolution imagery (4 m) and near-daily global coverage that facilitates the compilation of a cloud-free and optimal water column image composite of the Caribbean’s nearshore environment. These data were used to develop a first-of-its-kind regional thirteen-class benthic habitat map to 30 m water depth using an object-based image analysis (OBIA) approach. A total of 203,676 km2 of shallow benthic habitat across the Insular Caribbean was mapped, representing 5% coral reef, 43% seagrass, 15% hardbottom, and 37% other habitats. Results from a combined major class accuracy assessment yielded an overall accuracy of 80% with a standard error of less than 1% yielding a confidence interval of 78–82%. Of the total area mapped, 15% of these habitats (31,311.7 km2) are within a marine protected or managed area. This information provides a baseline of ecological data for developing and executing more strategic conservation actions, including implementing more effective marine spatial plans, prioritizing and improving marine protected area design, monitoring condition and change for post-storm damage assessments, and providing more accurate habitat data for ecosystem service models.
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76
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Characterization of the Microbiome of Corals with Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease along Florida's Coral Reef. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9112181. [PMID: 34835306 PMCID: PMC8623284 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9112181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) is an emergent and often lethal coral disease that was first reported near Miami, FL (USA) in 2014. Our objective was to determine if coral colonies showing signs of SCTLD possess a specific microbial signature across five susceptible species sampled in Florida’s Coral Reef. Three sample types were collected: lesion tissue and apparently unaffected tissue of diseased colonies, and tissue of apparently healthy colonies. Using 16S rRNA high-throughput gene sequencing, our results show that, for every species, the microbial community composition of lesion tissue was significantly different from healthy colony tissue and from the unaffected tissue of diseased colonies. The lesion tissue of all but one species (Siderastrea siderea) had higher relative abundances of the order Rhodobacterales compared with other types of tissue samples, which may partly explain why S. siderea lesions often differed in appearance compared to other species. The order Clostridiales was also present at relatively high abundances in the lesion tissue of three species compared to healthy and unaffected tissues. Stress often leads to the dysbiosis of coral microbiomes and increases the abundance of opportunistic pathogens. The present study suggests that Rhodobacterales and Clostridiales likely play an important role in SCTLD.
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77
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MacLeod KJ, Kohl KD, Trevelline BK, Langkilde T. Context-dependent effects of glucocorticoids on the lizard gut microbiome. Mol Ecol 2021; 31:185-196. [PMID: 34661319 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The vertebrate gut microbiota (bacterial, archaeal and fungal communities of the gastrointestinal tract) can have profound effects on the physiological processes of their hosts. Although relatively stable, changes in microbiome structure and composition occur due to changes in the environment, including exposure to stressors and associated increases in glucocorticoid hormones. Although a growing number of studies have linked stressor exposure to microbiome changes, few studies have experimentally explored the specific influence of glucocorticoids on the microbiome in wild animals, or across ecologically important processes (e.g., reproductive stages). Here we tested the response of the gut microbiota of adult female Sceloporus undulatus across gestation to ecologically relevant elevations of a stress-relevant glucocorticoid hormone (CORT) in order to determine (i) how experimentally elevated CORT influenced microbiome characteristics, and (ii) whether this relationship was dependent on reproductive context (i.e., whether females were gravid or not, and, in those that were gravid, gestational stage). We show that the effects of CORT on gut microbiota are complex and depend on both gestational state and stage. CORT treatment altered microbial community membership and resulted in an increase in microbiome diversity in late-gestation females, and microbial community membership varied according to treatment. In nongravid females, CORT treatment decreased interindividual variation in microbial communities, but this effect was not observed in late-gestation females. Our results highlight the need for a more holistic understanding of the downstream physiological effects of glucocorticoids, as well as the importance of context (here, gestational state and stage) in interpreting stress effects in ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsty J MacLeod
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Kevin D Kohl
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Brian K Trevelline
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.,Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Tracy Langkilde
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.,Center for Brain, Behavior and Cognition, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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78
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Lesser MP. Eutrophication on Coral Reefs: What Is the Evidence for Phase Shifts, Nutrient Limitation and Coral Bleaching. Bioscience 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biab101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Coral reefs continue to experience extreme environmental pressure from climate change stressors, but many coral reefs are also exposed to eutrophication. It has been proposed that changes in the stoichiometry of ambient nutrients increase the mortality of corals, whereas eutrophication may facilitate phase shifts to macroalgae-dominated coral reefs when herbivory is low or absent. But are corals ever nutrient limited, and can eutrophication destabilize the coral symbiosis making it more sensitive to environmental stress because of climate change? The effects of eutrophication are confounded not just by the effects of climate change but by the presence of chemical pollutants in industrial, urban, and agricultural wastes. Because of these confounding effects, the increases in nutrients or changes in their stoichiometry in coastal environments, although they are important at the organismal and community level, cannot currently be disentangled from each other or from the more significant effects of climate change stressors on coral reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael P Lesser
- University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, United States
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79
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Evensen NR, Vanwonterghem I, Doropoulos C, Gouezo M, Botté ES, Webster NS, Mumby PJ. Benthic micro- and macro-community succession and coral recruitment under overfishing and nutrient enrichment. Ecology 2021; 102:e03536. [PMID: 34514590 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Herbivory and nutrient availability are fundamental drivers of benthic community succession in shallow marine systems, including coral reefs. Despite the importance of early community succession for coral recruitment and recovery, studies characterizing the impact of top-down and bottom-up drivers on micro- and macrobenthic communities at scales relevant to coral recruitment are lacking. Here, a combination of tank and field experiments were used to assess the effects of herbivore exclusion and nutrient enrichment on micro- to macrobenthic community succession and subsequent coral recruitment success. Herbivore exclusion had the strongest effect on micro- and macrobenthic community succession, including a community shift toward copiotrophic and potentially opportunistic/pathogenic microorganisms, an increased cover of turf and macroalgae, and decreased cover of crustose coralline algae. Yet, when corals settled prior to the development of a macrobenthic community, rates of post-settlement survival increased when herbivores were excluded, benefiting from the predation refugia provided by cages during their vulnerable early post-settlement stage. Interestingly, survival on open tiles was negatively correlated with the relative abundance of the bacterial order Rhodobacterales, an opportunistic microbial group previously associated with stressed and diseased corals. Development of micro- and macrobenthic communities in the absence of herbivory, however, led to reduced coral settlement. In turn, there were no differences in post-settlement survival between open and caged treatments for corals settled on tiles with established benthic communities. As a result, open tiles experienced marginally higher recruitment rates, driven primarily by the higher initial number of settlers on open tiles compared to caged tiles. Overall, we reveal that the primary interaction driving coral recruitment is the positive effect of herbivory in creating crustose coralline algae (CCA)-dominated habitats, free of fleshy algae and associated opportunistic microbes, to enhance coral settlement. The negative direct and indirect impact of fish predation on newly settled corals was outweighed by the positive effect of herbivory on the initial rate of coral settlement. In turn, the addition of nutrients further altered benthic community succession in the absence of herbivory, reducing coral post-settlement survival. However, the overall impact of nutrients on coral recruitment dynamics was minor relative to herbivory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas R Evensen
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia.,Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, 23529, USA
| | - Inka Vanwonterghem
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | | | - Marine Gouezo
- Palau International Coral Reef Center, P.O. Box 7086, Koror, 96940, Republic of Palau
| | - Emmanuelle S Botté
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.,Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Nicole S Webster
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia.,Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Peter J Mumby
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia.,Palau International Coral Reef Center, P.O. Box 7086, Koror, 96940, Republic of Palau
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80
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Wada CA, Burnett KM, Okuhata BK, Delevaux JMS, Dulai H, El-Kadi AI, Gibson V, Smith C, Bremer LL. Identifying wastewater management tradeoffs: Costs, nearshore water quality, and implications for marine coastal ecosystems in Kona, Hawai'i. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0257125. [PMID: 34495989 PMCID: PMC8425575 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Untreated and minimally treated wastewater discharged into the environment have the potential to adversely affect groundwater dependent ecosystems and nearshore marine health. Addressing this issue requires a systems approach that links land use and wastewater management decisions to potential impacts on the nearshore marine environment via changes in water quality and quantity. To that end, a framework was developed to assess decisions that have cascading effects across multiple elements of the ridge-to-reef system. In an application to Kona (Hawai'i, USA), eight land use and wastewater management scenarios were evaluated in terms of wastewater system upgrade costs and wastewater related nutrient loads in groundwater, which eventually discharge to nearshore waters, resulting in potential impacts to marine habitat quality. Without any upgrades of cesspools or the existing wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), discharges of nutrients are expected to increase substantially with permitted development, with potential detrimental impacts to the marine environment. Results suggest that converting all of the existing cesspools to aerobic treatment units (ATU) and upgrading the existing WWTP to R-1 quality provide the highest protection to nearshore marine habitat at a cost of $569 million in present value terms. Other wastewater management options were less effective but also less costly. For example, targeted cesspool conversion (a combination of septic and ATU installation) in conjunction with the WWTP upgrade still provided a substantial reduction in nutrients and potential impacts to marine habitat quality relative to the present situation at a price point roughly $100 million less than the entirely ATU option. Of note, results were more sensitive to the inclusion of the WWTP upgrade option than they were to assumptions regarding the efficiency of the cesspool conversion technologies. The model outputs also suggest that the spatial distribution of potential impacts should be carefully considered when comparing different wastewater management scenarios. When evaluated separately, the WWTP option reduced total nutrients by more than the targeted cesspool conversion option at a fraction of the cost. However, potential improvements in marine habitat quality only occurred in the immediate vicinity of the WWTP, whereas the benefits under targeted cesspool conversion were more evenly distributed along the coast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A. Wada
- University of Hawai‘i Economic Research Organization, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, United States of America
- Water Resources Research Center, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, United States of America
| | - Kimberly M. Burnett
- University of Hawai‘i Economic Research Organization, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, United States of America
- Water Resources Research Center, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Brytne K. Okuhata
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, United States of America
| | - Jade M. S. Delevaux
- The Natural Capital Project, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Henrietta Dulai
- Water Resources Research Center, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, United States of America
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, United States of America
| | - Aly I. El-Kadi
- Water Resources Research Center, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, United States of America
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, United States of America
| | - Veronica Gibson
- Department of Botany, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, United States of America
| | - Celia Smith
- Department of Botany, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, United States of America
| | - Leah L. Bremer
- University of Hawai‘i Economic Research Organization, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, United States of America
- Water Resources Research Center, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, United States of America
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81
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Nutrient Enrichment Predominantly Affects Low Diversity Microbiomes in a Marine Trophic Symbiosis between Algal Farming Fish and Corals. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9091873. [PMID: 34576770 PMCID: PMC8471015 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9091873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
While studies show that nutrient pollution shifts reef trophic interactions between fish, macroalgae, and corals, we know less about how the microbiomes associated with these organisms react to such disturbances. To investigate how microbiome dynamics are affected during nutrient pollution, we exposed replicate Porites lobata corals colonized by the fish Stegastes nigricans, which farm an algal matrix on the coral, to a pulse of nutrient enrichment over a two-month period and examined the microbiome of each partner using 16S amplicon analysis. We found 51 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) shared among the three hosts. Coral microbiomes had the lowest diversity with over 98% of the microbiome dominated by a single genus, Endozoicomonas. Fish and algal matrix microbiomes were ~20 to 70× more diverse and had higher evenness compared to the corals. The addition of nutrients significantly increased species richness and community variability between samples of coral microbiomes but not the fish or algal matrix microbiomes, demonstrating that coral microbiomes are less resistant to nutrient pollution than their trophic partners. Furthermore, the 51 common ASVs within the 3 hosts indicate microbes that may be shared or transmitted between these closely associated organisms, including Vibrionaceae bacteria, many of which can be pathogenic to corals.
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82
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Taylor Parkins SK, Murthy S, Picioreanu C, Kühl M. Multiphysics modelling of photon, mass and heat transfer in coral microenvironments. J R Soc Interface 2021; 18:20210532. [PMID: 34465209 PMCID: PMC8437025 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2021.0532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Coral reefs are constructed by calcifying coral animals that engage in a symbiosis with dinoflagellate microalgae harboured in their tissue. The symbiosis takes place in the presence of steep and dynamic gradients of light, temperature and chemical species that are affected by the structural and optical properties of the coral and their interaction with incident irradiance and water flow. Microenvironmental analyses have enabled quantification of such gradients and bulk coral tissue and skeleton optical properties, but the multi-layered nature of corals and its implications for the optical, thermal and chemical microenvironment remains to be studied in more detail. Here, we present a multiphysics modelling approach, where three-dimensional Monte Carlo simulations of the light field in a simple coral slab morphology with multiple tissue layers were used as input for modelling the heat dissipation and photosynthetic oxygen production driven by photon absorption. By coupling photon, heat and mass transfer, the model predicts light, temperature and O2 gradients in the coral tissue and skeleton, under environmental conditions simulating, for example, tissue contraction/expansion, symbiont loss via coral bleaching or different distributions of coral host pigments. The model reveals basic structure-function mechanisms that shape the microenvironment and ecophysiology of the coral symbiosis in response to environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannara Kayleigh Taylor Parkins
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands.,The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 220, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Swathi Murthy
- Marine Biology Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Strandpromenaden 5, 3000 Helsingør, Denmark
| | - Cristian Picioreanu
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands.,Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, Water Desalination and Reuse Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Michael Kühl
- Marine Biology Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Strandpromenaden 5, 3000 Helsingør, Denmark.,Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales 2007, Australia
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83
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Briggs AA, Brown AL, Osenberg CW. Local versus site-level effects of algae on coral microbial communities. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:210035. [PMID: 34540243 PMCID: PMC8441125 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Microbes influence ecological processes, including the dynamics and health of macro-organisms and their interactions with other species. In coral reefs, microbes mediate negative effects of algae on corals when corals are in contact with algae. However, it is unknown whether these effects extend to larger spatial scales, such as at sites with high algal densities. We investigated how local algal contact and site-level macroalgal cover influenced coral microbial communities in a field study at two islands in French Polynesia, Mo'orea and Mangareva. At 5 sites at each island, we sampled prokaryotic microbial communities (microbiomes) associated with corals, macroalgae, turf algae and water, with coral samples taken from individuals that were isolated from or in contact with turf or macroalgae. Algal contact and macroalgal cover had antagonistic effects on coral microbiome alpha and beta diversity. Additionally, coral microbiomes shifted and became more similar to macroalgal microbiomes at sites with high macroalgal cover and with algal contact, although the microbial taxa that changed varied by island. Our results indicate that coral microbiomes can be affected by algae outside of the coral's immediate vicinity, and local- and site-level effects of algae can obscure each other's effects when both scales are not considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy A. Briggs
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Anya L. Brown
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA
- School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Florida, USA
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84
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Coral Reef Mapping with Remote Sensing and Machine Learning: A Nurture and Nature Analysis in Marine Protected Areas. REMOTE SENSING 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/rs13152907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Mapping habitats is essential to assist strategic decisions regarding the use and protection of coral reefs. Coupled with machine learning (ML) algorithms, remote sensing has allowed detailed mapping of reefs at meaningful scales. Here we integrated WorldView-3 and Landsat-8 imagery and ML techniques to produce a map of suitable habitats for the occurrence of a model species, the hydrocoral Millepora alcicornis, in coral reefs located inside marine protected areas in Northeast Brazil. Conservation and management efforts in the region were also analyzed, integrating human use layers to the ecological seascape. Three ML techniques were applied: two to derive base layers, namely geographically weighted regressions for bathymetry and support vector machine classifier (SVM) for habitat mapping, and one to build the species distribution model (MaxEnt) for Millepora alcicornis, a conspicuous and important reef-building species in the area. Additionally, human use was mapped based on the presence of tourists and fishers. SVM yielded 15 benthic classes (e.g., seagrass, sand, coral), with an overall accuracy of 79%. Bathymetry and its derivative layers depicted the topographical complexity of the area. The Millepora alcicornis distribution model identified distance from the shore and depth as topographical factors limiting the settling and growth of coral colonies. The most important variables were ecological, showing the importance of maintaining high biodiversity in the ecosystem. The comparison of the habitat suitability model with species absence and human use maps indicated the impact of direct human activities as potential inhibitors of coral development. Results reinforce the importance of the establishment of no-take zones and other protective measures for maintaining local biodiversity.
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85
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Jones NP, Kabay L, Semon Lunz K, Gilliam DS. Temperature stress and disease drives the extirpation of the threatened pillar coral, Dendrogyra cylindrus, in southeast Florida. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14113. [PMID: 34238939 PMCID: PMC8266880 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93111-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Rare species population dynamics can elucidate the resilience of an ecosystem. On coral reefs, climate change and local anthropogenic stressors are threatening stony coral persistence, increasing the need to assess vulnerable species locally. Here, we monitored the threatened pillar coral, Dendrogyra cylindrus, population in southeast Florida, USA, in relation to consecutive heat stress events in 2014 and 2015. In the fall of each year, D. cylindrus colonies bleached following intense thermal stress and by June 2020 all monitored colonies died from a white-syndrome type disease. This resulted in the ecological extinction of D. cylindrus in the Southeast Florida Coral Reef Ecosystem Conservation Area (ECA). White-syndrome type disease was first seen in February 2014 on four colonies (19% prevalence) near the major international port, Port Everglades and disease prevalence peaked in fall 2015 (58%). Disease prevalence increased with maximum water temperature, while disease related mortality increased with mean water temperature. Our findings suggest that thermal stress exacerbated underlying stony coral disease, resulting in an outbreak contributing to the ecological extirpation of D. cylindrus in the ECA. We suggest that stony coral resilience is severely compromised by chronic environmental disturbance which hinders community recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas P Jones
- Nova Southeastern University, Halmos College of Arts and Sciences, Dania Beach, FL, USA.
| | - Lystina Kabay
- Nova Southeastern University, Halmos College of Arts and Sciences, Dania Beach, FL, USA
| | | | - David S Gilliam
- Nova Southeastern University, Halmos College of Arts and Sciences, Dania Beach, FL, USA
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86
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Bertocci I, De Oliveira Martins MI, Meyer HS, Gómez OB, Maggi E, Arenas F. Resurvey of sea urchins and mussels at protected and harvested shores a decade after: A beyond-BACI approach. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 169:105347. [PMID: 33965722 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2021.105347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Comparing temporal patterns of distribution and abundance of target organisms between protected and harvested shores is essential to assess the extant effectiveness of marine protected areas (MPAs) and whether it is maintained through time. By means of an adapted Beyond-BACI approach, we compared the short- and long-term patterns of variation in the abundance of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus and the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis at a protected shore (within the Parque Litoral Norte MPA, Portugal) and at three adjacent shores subject to intense harvesting over a decadal interval. Despite the existence of the MPA for more than 30 years, we did not obtain clear evidence of its persistent or recent effectiveness on intertidal species of commercial interest. We suggest the need for refining management options along the northern Portuguese coast, possibly by better enforcing current regulations and reconsidering the present design of protection schemes. Moreover, the adopted analytical approach may represent a methodological reference for similar investigations in systems where the perturbation of interest (protection or disturbance) would not occur at a given time during the course of the study, but has been operating since before the first sampling occasion and maintained until subsequent surveys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iacopo Bertocci
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, CoNISMa, Via Derna 1, 56126, Pisa, Italy; Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy.
| | - Marta Isabel De Oliveira Martins
- CIIMAR, Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Novo Terminal de Cruzeiros, Avenida General Norton de Matos Sn, P-4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Hugo Sainz Meyer
- CIIMAR, Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Novo Terminal de Cruzeiros, Avenida General Norton de Matos Sn, P-4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Oscar Babé Gómez
- CIIMAR, Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Novo Terminal de Cruzeiros, Avenida General Norton de Matos Sn, P-4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Elena Maggi
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, CoNISMa, Via Derna 1, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Francisco Arenas
- CIIMAR, Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Novo Terminal de Cruzeiros, Avenida General Norton de Matos Sn, P-4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal
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87
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Zhang Y, Yang Q, Zhang Y, Ahmad M, Ling J, Dong J, Wang Y. The diversity and metabolic potential of the microbial functional gene associated with Porites pukoensis. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2021; 30:986-995. [PMID: 33991262 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-021-02419-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Coral reef ecosystems usually distribute in oligotrophic tropical and subtropical marine environments, but they possess great biodiversity and high productivity. It may attribute to its efficient internal nutrient cycle system. However, the knowledge of functional microbial community structure is still limited. In this study, both functional gene array (Geochip 5.0) and nifH Illumina sequencing were used to profile the overall functional genes and diazotrophic communities associated with coral Porites pukoensis. More than 7500 microbial functional genes were detected from archaea, bacteria, and fungi. Most of these genes are related to the transformation of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus, providing evidence that microbes in the coral holobiont play important roles in the biogeochemical cycle of coral reef ecosystems. Our results indicated a high diversity of diazotrophs associated with corals. The dominant diazotrophic groups were related to phyla Alphaproteobacteria, Deltaproteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria. And the dominant diazotrophic communities were divided into four clusters. They were affiliated with nifH sequences from genera Zymomonas, Halorhodospira, Leptolyngbya, Trichormus, and Desulfovibrio, indicating these groups may play a more important role in the nitrogen-fixing process in the coral holobiont. This study revealed functional gene diversity and suggested the roles they played in the biogeochemical cycling of the coral holobiont.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanying Zhang
- Ocean School, Yantai University, Yantai, 264005, China.
| | - Qingsong Yang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China
| | - Manzoor Ahmad
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China
| | - Juan Ling
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China
| | - Junde Dong
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China.
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Biotechnology of Hainan Province and Hainan Sanya Marine Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, 572000, China.
| | - Youshao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China
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88
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Burkepile DE. Ecology: E-rat-ication to restore reefs. Curr Biol 2021; 31:R786-R788. [PMID: 34157261 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.04.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Invasive species often drive native species to local extinction. A new study shows that removing invasive rats from tropical islands fosters recovery of native seabirds. Rising seabird populations reestablish key cross-ecosystem nutrient subsidies, reconnecting oceanic, island, and coral reef ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deron E Burkepile
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA; Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA.
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89
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Henley EM, Quinn M, Bouwmeester J, Daly J, Zuchowicz N, Lager C, Bailey DW, Hagedorn M. Reproductive plasticity of Hawaiian Montipora corals following thermal stress. Sci Rep 2021; 11:12525. [PMID: 34108494 PMCID: PMC8190081 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91030-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Ocean warming, fueled by climate change, is the primary cause of coral bleaching events which are predicted to increase in frequency. Bleaching is generally damaging to coral reproduction, can be exacerbated by concomitant stressors like ultraviolet radiation (UVR), and can have lasting impacts to successful reproduction and potential adaptation. We compared morphological and physiological reproductive metrics (e.g., sperm motility, mitochondrial membrane integrity, egg volume, gametes per bundle, and fertilization and settlement success) of two Hawaiian Montipora corals after consecutive bleaching events in 2014 and 2015. Between the species, sperm motility and mitochondrial membrane potential had the most disparate results. Percent sperm motility in M. capitata, which declined to ~ 40% during bleaching from a normal range of 70-90%, was still less than 50% motile in 2017 and 2018 and had not fully recovered in 2019 (63% motile). By contrast, percent sperm motility in Montipora spp. was 86% and 74% in 2018 and 2019, respectively. This reduction in motility was correlated with damage to mitochondria in M. capitata but not Montipora spp. A major difference between these species is the physiological foundation of their UVR protection, and we hypothesize that UVR protective mechanisms inherent in Montipora spp. mitigate this reproductive damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Michael Henley
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, USA.
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, HI, USA.
| | - Mariko Quinn
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, USA
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, HI, USA
| | - Jessica Bouwmeester
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, USA
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, HI, USA
| | - Jonathan Daly
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, USA
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, HI, USA
| | - Nikolas Zuchowicz
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, USA
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, HI, USA
| | - Claire Lager
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, USA
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, HI, USA
| | - Daniel W Bailey
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, USA
| | - Mary Hagedorn
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, USA
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, HI, USA
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90
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Donovan MK, Burkepile DE, Kratochwill C, Shlesinger T, Sully S, Oliver TA, Hodgson G, Freiwald J, van Woesik R. Local conditions magnify coral loss after marine heatwaves. Science 2021; 372:977-980. [PMID: 34045353 DOI: 10.1126/science.abd9464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Climate change threatens coral reefs by causing heat stress events that lead to widespread coral bleaching and mortality. Given the global nature of these mass coral mortality events, recent studies argue that mitigating climate change is the only path to conserve coral reefs. Using a global analysis of 223 sites, we show that local stressors act synergistically with climate change to kill corals. Local factors such as high abundance of macroalgae or urchins magnified coral loss in the year after bleaching. Notably, the combined effects of increasing heat stress and macroalgae intensified coral loss. Our results offer an optimistic premise that effective local management, alongside global efforts to mitigate climate change, can help coral reefs survive the Anthropocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary K Donovan
- Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science and School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA.
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Deron E Burkepile
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Chelsey Kratochwill
- Institute for Global Ecology, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL 32901, USA
| | - Tom Shlesinger
- Institute for Global Ecology, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL 32901, USA
| | - Shannon Sully
- Institute for Global Ecology, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL 32901, USA
| | - Thomas A Oliver
- Ecosystem Sciences Division, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries, Honolulu, HI 96818, USA
| | | | - Jan Freiwald
- Reef Check Foundation, Marina del Rey, CA 90292, USA
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Robert van Woesik
- Institute for Global Ecology, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL 32901, USA
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91
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Laas P, Ugarelli K, Absten M, Boyer B, Briceño H, Stingl U. Composition of Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Microbial Communities in Waters around the Florida Reef Tract. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9061120. [PMID: 34064293 PMCID: PMC8224282 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9061120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The Florida Keys, a delicate archipelago of sub-tropical islands extending from the south-eastern tip of Florida, host the vast majority of the only coral barrier reef in the continental United States. Abiotic as well as microbial components of the surrounding waters are pivotal for the health of reef habitats, and thus could play an important role in understanding the development and transmission of coral diseases in Florida. In this study, we analyzed microbial community structure and abiotic factors in waters around the Florida Reef Tract. Both bacterial and eukaryotic community structure were significantly linked with variations in temperature, dissolved oxygen, and total organic carbon values. High abundances of copiotrophic bacteria as well as several potentially harmful microbes, including coral pathogens, fish parasites and taxa that have been previously associated with Red Tide and shellfish poisoning were present in our datasets and may have a pivotal impact on reef health in this ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peeter Laas
- Fort Lauderdale Research & Education Center, Department of Microbiology & Cell Science, Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), University of Florida, Davie, FL 33314, USA; (P.L.); (K.U.)
| | - Kelly Ugarelli
- Fort Lauderdale Research & Education Center, Department of Microbiology & Cell Science, Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), University of Florida, Davie, FL 33314, USA; (P.L.); (K.U.)
| | - Michael Absten
- Institute of the Environment, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA; (M.A.); (B.B.); (H.B.)
| | - Breege Boyer
- Institute of the Environment, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA; (M.A.); (B.B.); (H.B.)
| | - Henry Briceño
- Institute of the Environment, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA; (M.A.); (B.B.); (H.B.)
| | - Ulrich Stingl
- Fort Lauderdale Research & Education Center, Department of Microbiology & Cell Science, Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), University of Florida, Davie, FL 33314, USA; (P.L.); (K.U.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-954-577-6326
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92
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Zhang Y, Yang Q, Zhang Y, Ahmad M, Ling J, Tang X, Dong J. Shifts in abundance and network complexity of coral bacteria in response to elevated ammonium stress. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 768:144631. [PMID: 33434804 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Coral bacteria are highly dynamic and acutely affected by host health and environmental conditions. However, there is limited knowledge of how the dynamics of coral-associated bacterial communities and interactions among bacterial members change in response to dissolved inorganic nutrient stressors. Here, we used high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene to examine dynamic changes in coral-associated bacterial communities under elevated ammonium stress. Short-term exposure to high levels of ammonium does not significantly harm coral holobiont. Physiological parameters such as carbohydrate, chlorophyll a, and lipid content of coral holobiont were not affected. After three weeks of elevated ammonium stress, however, the coral-associated bacterial community changed significantly. The abundance of certain bacterial populations increased significantly, with enrichment of pathogenic and opportunistic bacteria and a decrease in defensive and core bacteria. Keystone bacterial species in the co-occurrence network changed considerably. Under elevated ammonium stress, the abundance of keystone species associated with corals was lower and the complexity of keystone bacterial relationships decreased significantly. Our results indicate that bacteria respond to elevated ammonium stress through changes in abundance and co-occurrence among bacterial members. This precedes visual symptoms of changes in coral physiological conditions and could be used as an early warning indicator of elevated ammonium stress in coastal coral reef management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanying Zhang
- Ocean School, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, China
| | - Qingsong Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Guangzhou 510301, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China.
| | - Ying Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Guangzhou 510301, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Manzoor Ahmad
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Guangzhou 510301, China
| | - Juan Ling
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Guangzhou 510301, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China
| | - Xiaoyu Tang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Guangzhou 510301, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Junde Dong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Guangzhou 510301, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China; Sanya National Marine Ecosystem Research Station and Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Sanya Institute of Oceanology, SCSIO, Sanya 572000, China.
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93
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Pazzaglia J, Reusch TBH, Terlizzi A, Marín‐Guirao L, Procaccini G. Phenotypic plasticity under rapid global changes: The intrinsic force for future seagrasses survival. Evol Appl 2021; 14:1181-1201. [PMID: 34025759 PMCID: PMC8127715 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Coastal oceans are particularly affected by rapid and extreme environmental changes with dramatic consequences for the entire ecosystem. Seagrasses are key ecosystem engineering or foundation species supporting diverse and productive ecosystems along the coastline that are particularly susceptible to fast environmental changes. In this context, the analysis of phenotypic plasticity could reveal important insights into seagrasses persistence, as it represents an individual property that allows species' phenotypes to accommodate and react to fast environmental changes and stress. Many studies have provided different definitions of plasticity and related processes (acclimation and adaptation) resulting in a variety of associated terminology. Here, we review different ways to define phenotypic plasticity with particular reference to seagrass responses to single and multiple stressors. We relate plasticity to the shape of reaction norms, resulting from genotype by environment interactions, and examine its role in the presence of environmental shifts. The potential role of genetic and epigenetic changes in underlying seagrasses plasticity in face of environmental changes is also discussed. Different approaches aimed to assess local acclimation and adaptation in seagrasses are explored, explaining strengths and weaknesses based on the main results obtained from the most recent literature. We conclude that the implemented experimental approaches, whether performed with controlled or field experiments, provide new insights to explore the basis of plasticity in seagrasses. However, an improvement of molecular analysis and the application of multi-factorial experiments are required to better explore genetic and epigenetic adjustments to rapid environmental shifts. These considerations revealed the potential for selecting the best phenotypes to promote assisted evolution with fundamental implications on restoration and preservation efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Pazzaglia
- Department of Integrative Marine EcologyStazione Zoologica Anton DohrnNaplesItaly
- Department of Life SciencesUniversity of TriesteTriesteItaly
| | - Thorsten B. H. Reusch
- Marine Evolutionary EcologyGEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research KielKielGermany
| | - Antonio Terlizzi
- Department of Life SciencesUniversity of TriesteTriesteItaly
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine OrganismsStazione Zoologica Anton DohrnNaplesItaly
| | - Lázaro Marín‐Guirao
- Department of Integrative Marine EcologyStazione Zoologica Anton DohrnNaplesItaly
- Seagrass Ecology GroupOceanographic Center of MurciaSpanish Institute of OceanographyMurciaSpain
| | - Gabriele Procaccini
- Department of Integrative Marine EcologyStazione Zoologica Anton DohrnNaplesItaly
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94
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Shilling EN, Combs IR, Voss JD. Assessing the effectiveness of two intervention methods for stony coral tissue loss disease on Montastraea cavernosa. Sci Rep 2021; 11:8566. [PMID: 33883581 PMCID: PMC8060409 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86926-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) was first observed in Florida in 2014 and has since spread to multiple coral reefs across the wider Caribbean. The northern section of Florida's Coral Reef has been heavily impacted by this outbreak, with some reefs experiencing as much as a 60% loss of living coral tissue area. We experimentally assessed the effectiveness of two intervention treatments on SCTLD-affected Montastraea cavernosa colonies in situ. Colonies were tagged and divided into three treatment groups: (1) chlorinated epoxy, (2) amoxicillin combined with CoreRx/Ocean Alchemists Base 2B, and (3) untreated controls. The experimental colonies were monitored periodically over 11 months to assess treatment effectiveness by tracking lesion development and overall disease status. The Base 2B plus amoxicillin treatment had a 95% success rate at healing individual disease lesions but did not necessarily prevent treated colonies from developing new lesions over time. Chlorinated epoxy treatments were not significantly different from untreated control colonies, suggesting that chlorinated epoxy treatments are an ineffective intervention technique for SCTLD. The results of this experiment expand management options during coral disease outbreaks and contribute to overall knowledge regarding coral health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin N Shilling
- Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University, Fort Pierce, FL, USA.
| | - Ian R Combs
- Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University, Fort Pierce, FL, USA
- Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research and Restoration, Mote Marine Laboratory, Summerland Key, FL, USA
| | - Joshua D Voss
- Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University, Fort Pierce, FL, USA.
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95
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Keller AG, Apprill A, Lebaron P, Robbins J, Romano TA, Overton E, Rong Y, Yuan R, Pollara S, Whalen KE. Characterizing the culturable surface microbiomes of diverse marine animals. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2021; 97:6157762. [PMID: 33681975 PMCID: PMC8012112 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiab040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Biofilm-forming bacteria have the potential to contribute to the health, physiology, behavior and ecology of the host and serve as its first line of defense against adverse conditions in the environment. While metabarcoding and metagenomic information furthers our understanding of microbiome composition, fewer studies use cultured samples to study the diverse interactions among the host and its microbiome, as cultured representatives are often lacking. This study examines the surface microbiomes cultured from three shallow-water coral species and two whale species. These unique marine animals place strong selective pressures on their microbial symbionts and contain members under similar environmental and anthropogenic stress. We developed an intense cultivation procedure, utilizing a suite of culture conditions targeting a rich assortment of biofilm-forming microorganisms. We identified 592 microbial isolates contained within 15 bacterial orders representing 50 bacterial genera, and two fungal species. Culturable bacteria from coral and whale samples paralleled taxonomic groups identified in culture-independent surveys, including 29% of all bacterial genera identified in the Megaptera novaeangliae skin microbiome through culture-independent methods. This microbial repository provides raw material and biological input for more nuanced studies which can explore how members of the microbiome both shape their micro-niche and impact host fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail G Keller
- Department of Biology, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Ave., Haverford, PA, 19041-1392, USA
| | - Amy Apprill
- Marine Chemistry & Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 266 Woods Hole Road, Woods Hole, MA, 02543, USA
| | - Philippe Lebaron
- Laboratoire de Biodiversité et Biotechnologies Microbiennes, USR 3579 Sorbonne Université (UPMC) Paris 6 et CNRS Observatoire Océanologique, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
| | - Jooke Robbins
- Center for Coastal Studies, 5 Holway Ave., Provincetown, MA, 02657, USA
| | - Tracy A Romano
- Mystic Aquarium, a division of Sea Research Foundation Inc., 55 Coogan Blvd., Mystic, CT, 06355, USA
| | - Ellysia Overton
- Department of Biology, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Ave., Haverford, PA, 19041-1392, USA
| | - Yuying Rong
- Department of Biology, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Ave., Haverford, PA, 19041-1392, USA
| | - Ruiyi Yuan
- Department of Biology, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Ave., Haverford, PA, 19041-1392, USA
| | - Scott Pollara
- Department of Biology, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Ave., Haverford, PA, 19041-1392, USA
| | - Kristen E Whalen
- Department of Biology, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Ave., Haverford, PA, 19041-1392, USA
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96
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Li S, Roger LM, Kumar L, Lewinski NA, Klein-Seetharaman J, Gagnon A, Putnam HM, Yang J. Digital image processing to detect subtle motion in stony coral. Sci Rep 2021; 11:7722. [PMID: 33833260 PMCID: PMC8032694 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85800-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Coral reef ecosystems support significant biological activities and harbor huge diversity, but they are facing a severe crisis driven by anthropogenic activities and climate change. An important behavioral trait of the coral holobiont is coral motion, which may play an essential role in feeding, competition, reproduction, and thus survival and fitness. Therefore, characterizing coral behavior through motion analysis will aid our understanding of basic biological and physical coral functions. However, tissue motion in the stony scleractinian corals that contribute most to coral reef construction are subtle and may be imperceptible to both the human eye and commonly used imaging techniques. Here we propose and apply a systematic approach to quantify and visualize subtle coral motion across a series of light and dark cycles in the scleractinian coral Montipora capricornis. We use digital image correlation and optical flow techniques to quantify and characterize minute coral motions under different light conditions. In addition, as a visualization tool, motion magnification algorithm magnifies coral motions in different frequencies, which explicitly displays the distinctive dynamic modes of coral movement. Specifically, our assessment of displacement, strain, optical flow, and mode shape quantify coral motion under different light conditions, and they all show that M. capricornis exhibits more active motions at night compared to day. Our approach provides an unprecedented insight into micro-scale coral movement and behavior through macro-scale digital imaging, thus offering a useful empirical toolset for the coral research community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuaifeng Li
- grid.34477.330000000122986657Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-2400 USA
| | - Liza M. Roger
- grid.224260.00000 0004 0458 8737Department of Chemical and Life Science and Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA USA
| | - Lokender Kumar
- grid.254549.b0000 0004 1936 8155Department of Physics, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO USA
| | - Nastassja A. Lewinski
- grid.224260.00000 0004 0458 8737Department of Chemical and Life Science and Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA USA
| | - Judith Klein-Seetharaman
- grid.254549.b0000 0004 1936 8155Department of Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO USA
| | - Alex Gagnon
- grid.34477.330000000122986657School of Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Hollie M. Putnam
- grid.20431.340000 0004 0416 2242Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881 USA
| | - Jinkyu Yang
- grid.34477.330000000122986657Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-2400 USA
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97
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Ferrier-Pagès C, Leal MC, Calado R, Schmid DW, Bertucci F, Lecchini D, Allemand D. Noise pollution on coral reefs? - A yet underestimated threat to coral reef communities. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2021; 165:112129. [PMID: 33588103 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Noise pollution is an anthropogenic stressor that is increasingly recognized for its negative impact on the physiology, behavior and fitness of marine organisms. Driven by the recent expansion of maritime shipping, artisanal fishing and tourism (e.g., motorboats used for recreational purpose), underwater noise increased greatly on coral reefs. In this review, we first provide an overview on how reef organisms sense and use sound. Thereafter we review the current knowledge on how underwater noise affects different reef organisms. Although the majority of available examples are limited to few fish species, we emphasize how the impact of noise differs based on an organisms' acoustic sensitivity, mobility and developmental stage, as well as between noise type, source and duration. Finally, we highlight measures available to governments, the shipping industry and individual users and provide directions for polices and research aimed to manage this global issue of noise emission on coral reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Ferrier-Pagès
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Coral Ecophysiology Team, 8 Quai Antoine 1er, MC-98000, Monaco.
| | - Miguel C Leal
- ECOMARE, Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Calado
- ECOMARE, Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | | | - Frédéric Bertucci
- Functional and Evolutionary Morphology Lab, University of Liege, Belgium; PSL University, EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, 98729 Moorea, French Polynesia
| | - David Lecchini
- PSL University, EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, 98729 Moorea, French Polynesia; Laboratoire d'Excellence "CORAIL", Perpignan, France
| | - Denis Allemand
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Coral Ecophysiology Team, 8 Quai Antoine 1er, MC-98000, Monaco
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98
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Ezzat L, Merolla S, Clements CS, Munsterman KS, Landfield K, Stensrud C, Schmeltzer ER, Burkepile DE, Vega Thurber R. Thermal Stress Interacts With Surgeonfish Feces to Increase Coral Susceptibility to Dysbiosis and Reduce Tissue Regeneration. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:620458. [PMID: 33841351 PMCID: PMC8027513 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.620458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Dysbiosis of coral microbiomes results from various biotic and environmental stressors, including interactions with important reef fishes which may act as vectors of opportunistic microbes via deposition of fecal material. Additionally, elevated sea surface temperatures have direct effects on coral microbiomes by promoting growth and virulence of opportunists and putative pathogens, thereby altering host immunity and health. However, interactions between these biotic and abiotic factors have yet to be evaluated. Here, we used a factorial experiment to investigate the combined effects of fecal pellet deposition by the widely distributed surgeonfish Ctenochaetus striatus and elevated sea surface temperatures on microbiomes associated with the reef-building coral Porites lobata. Our results showed that regardless of temperature, exposure of P. lobata to C. striatus feces increased alpha diversity, dispersion, and lead to a shift in microbial community composition – all indicative of microbial dysbiosis. Although elevated temperature did not result in significant changes in alpha and beta diversity, we noted an increasing number of differentially abundant taxa in corals exposed to both feces and thermal stress within the first 48h of the experiment. These included opportunistic microbial lineages and taxa closely related to potential coral pathogens (i.e., Vibrio vulnificus, Photobacterium rosenbergii). Some of these taxa were absent in controls but present in surgeonfish feces under both temperature regimes, suggesting mechanisms of microbial transmission and/or enrichment from fish feces to corals. Importantly, the impact to coral microbiomes by fish feces under higher temperatures appeared to inhibit wound healing in corals, as percentages of tissue recovery at the site of feces deposition were lower at 30°C compared to 26°C. Lower percentages of tissue recovery were associated with greater relative abundance of several bacterial lineages, with some of them found in surgeonfish feces (i.e., Rhodobacteraceae, Bdellovibrionaceae, Crocinitomicaceae). Our findings suggest that fish feces interact with elevated sea surface temperatures to favor microbial opportunism and enhance dysbiosis susceptibility in P. lobata. As the frequency and duration of thermal stress related events increase, the ability of coral microbiomes to recover from biotic stressors such as deposition of fish feces may be greatly affected, ultimately compromising coral health and resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leïla Ezzat
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Sarah Merolla
- Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Cody S Clements
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Katrina S Munsterman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Kaitlyn Landfield
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Colton Stensrud
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Emily R Schmeltzer
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Deron E Burkepile
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States.,Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Rebecca Vega Thurber
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
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99
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Fox MD, Nelson CE, Oliver TA, Quinlan ZA, Remple K, Glanz J, Smith JE, Putnam HM. Differential resistance and acclimation of two coral species to chronic nutrient enrichment reflect life‐history traits. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael D. Fox
- Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation Scripps Institution of Oceanography University of California San Diego San Diego CA USA
| | - Craig E. Nelson
- Department of Oceanography and Sea Grant College Program Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Honolulu HI USA
| | - Thomas A. Oliver
- Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center NOAA Inouye Regional Center Honolulu HI USA
| | - Zachary A. Quinlan
- Department of Oceanography and Sea Grant College Program Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Honolulu HI USA
- Department of Biology San Diego State University San Diego CA USA
| | - Kristina Remple
- Department of Oceanography and Sea Grant College Program Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Honolulu HI USA
| | - Jess Glanz
- Department of Biology California State University Northridge Northridge CA USA
| | - Jennifer E. Smith
- Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation Scripps Institution of Oceanography University of California San Diego San Diego CA USA
| | - Hollie M. Putnam
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Rhode Island Kingston RI USA
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100
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Canfield KN, Mulvaney K, Merrill N. Messaging on Slow Impacts: Applying Lessons Learned from Climate Change Communication to Catalyze and Improve Marine Nutrient Communication. FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE 2021; 9:10.3389/fenvs.2021.619606. [PMID: 33855031 PMCID: PMC8040056 DOI: 10.3389/fenvs.2021.619606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Building publics' understanding about human-environmental causes and impacts of nutrient pollution is difficult due to the diverse sources and, at times, extended timescales of increasing inputs, consequences to ecosystems, and recovery after remediation. Communicating environmental problems with "slow impacts" has long been a challenge for scientists, public health officials, and science communicators, as the time delay for subsequent consequences to become evident dilutes the sense of urgency to act. Fortunately, scientific research and practice in the field of climate change communication has begun to identify best practices to address these challenges. Climate change demonstrates a delay between environmental stressor and impact, and recommended practices for climate change communication illustrate how to explain and motivate action around this complex environmental problem. Climate change communication research provides scientific understanding of how people evaluate risk and scientific information about climate change. We used a qualitative coding approach to review the science communication and climate change communication literature to identify approaches that could be used for nutrients and how they could be applied. Recognizing the differences between climate change and impacts of nutrient pollution, we also explore how environmental problems with delayed impacts demand nuanced strategies for effective communication and public engagement. Applying generalizable approaches to successfully communicate the slow impacts related to nutrient pollution across geographic contexts will help build publics' understanding and urgency to act on comprehensive management of nutrient pollution, thereby increasing protection of coastal and marine environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Nicole Canfield
- Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling Narragansett, RI, United States
| | - Kate Mulvaney
- Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling Narragansett, RI, United States
| | - Nathaniel Merrill
- Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling Narragansett, RI, United States
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