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Ribes M, Yahel G, Romera-Castillo C, Mallenco R, Morganti TM, Coma R. The removal of dissolved organic matter by marine sponges is a function of its composition and concentration: An in situ seasonal study of four Mediterranean species. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 871:161991. [PMID: 36740056 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Sponges are unique among metazoans in their ability to use dissolved organic matter (DOM), the largest pool of organic matter in the ocean, as a major food source. The effect of variations in DOM abundance and composition on its uptake by sponges has rarely been studied. We examined, in situ, the seasonal uptake of DOM by four sponges [2 species with high microbial abundance (HMA) and 2 with low microbial abundance (LMA)] in the northwestern Mediterranean. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) showed a strong seasonality with 3-fold higher concentrations in fall-winter (256 ± 16 μmol L-1, mean ± SE) than in spring-summer (88 ± 3 μmol L-1). Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) showed the opposite trend, with higher summer concentrations (8.9 ± 0.4 μmol L-1) and mean concentrations of 2.5-3.4 μmol L-1 in the other seasons. DOC removal by all sponge species increased linearly with its ambient concentration, but only above a DOC removal threshold that was threefold higher in fall-winter (198 μmol L-1) than in spring-summer (74 μmol L-1). All species showed a concentration-dependent DON removal, but LMA sponges removed more DON than HMA sponges. The DOC removal rate (normalized to sponge volume) was 2-3 times higher in fall-winter, when ambient DOC levels were high, than in spring-summer. Sponges efficiently removed clusters of the fluorescent DOM (FDOM) associated with protein-rich DOM, but not those associated with humic material. The clear threshold for DOC removal and the protein-like FDOM uptake pattern suggest that the quality and quantity of DOM control its removal and transformation by marine sponges. Our results indicate that marine sponges transform the composition of the coastal DOM pool, thereby affecting its fate. It is postulated that the DOM excreted by the sponges is more recalcitrant; consequently, sponge activity enhances carbon sequestration in benthic habitats in a similar fashion to that of the oceanic 'microbial pump'.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Ribes
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain.
| | - G Yahel
- Faculty of Marine Sciences, Ruppin Academic Center, 402970 Michmoret, Israel
| | - C Romera-Castillo
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - R Mallenco
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - T M Morganti
- Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde, Seestraße 15, D-18119 Rostock, Germany
| | - R Coma
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Accés Cala Sant Francesc 14, 17300 Blanes, Girona, Catalunya, Spain.
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Dithugoe CD, Bezuidt OKI, Cavan EL, Froneman WP, Thomalla SJ, Makhalanyane TP. Bacteria and Archaea Regulate Particulate Organic Matter Export in Suspended and Sinking Marine Particle Fractions. mSphere 2023:e0042022. [PMID: 37093039 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00420-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The biological carbon pump (BCP) in the Southern Ocean is driven by phytoplankton productivity and is a significant organic matter sink. However, the role of particle-attached (PA) and free-living (FL) prokaryotes (bacteria and archaea) and their diversity in influencing the efficiency of the BCP is still unclear. To investigate this, we analyzed the metagenomes linked to suspended and sinking marine particles from the Sub-Antarctic Southern Ocean Time Series (SOTS) by deploying a Marine Snow Catcher (MSC), obtaining suspended and sinking particulate material, determining organic carbon and nitrogen flux, and constructing metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs). The suspended and sinking particle-pools were dominated by bacteria with the potential to degrade organic carbon. Bacterial communities associated with the sinking fraction had more genes related to the degradation of complex organic carbon than those in the suspended fraction. Archaea had the potential to drive nitrogen metabolism via nitrite and ammonia oxidation, altering organic nitrogen concentration. The data revealed several pathways for chemoautotrophy and the secretion of recalcitrant dissolved organic carbon (RDOC) from CO2, with bacteria and archaea potentially sequestering particulate organic matter (POM) via the production of RDOC. These findings provide insights into the diversity and function of prokaryotes in suspended and sinking particles and their role in organic carbon/nitrogen export in the Southern Ocean. IMPORTANCE The biological carbon pump is crucial for the export of particulate organic matter in the ocean. Recent studies on marine microbes have shown the profound influence of bacteria and archaea as regulators of particulate organic matter export. Yet, despite the importance of the Southern Ocean as a carbon sink, we lack comparable insights regarding microbial contributions. This study provides the first insights regarding prokaryotic contributions to particulate organic matter export in the Southern Ocean. We reveal evidence that prokaryotic communities in suspended and sinking particle fractions harbor widespread genomic potential for mediating particulate organic matter export. The results substantially enhance our understanding of the role played by microorganisms in regulating particulate organic matter export in suspended and sinking marine fractions in the Southern Ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Choaro D Dithugoe
- Southern Ocean Carbon-Climate Observatory (SOCCO), Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), Rosebank, Cape Town, South Africa
- SARChI Chair: Marine Ecosystems and Resources, Department of Entomology & Zoology, Rhodes University (RU), Makhanda, Eastern Cape, South Africa
- SARChI Chair: Marine Microbiomics, microbiome@UP, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria (UP), Hatfield, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Oliver K I Bezuidt
- SARChI Chair: Marine Microbiomics, microbiome@UP, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria (UP), Hatfield, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Emma L Cavan
- Imperial College London, Berks, Silwood Park, Berkshire, United Kingdom
| | - William P Froneman
- SARChI Chair: Marine Ecosystems and Resources, Department of Entomology & Zoology, Rhodes University (RU), Makhanda, Eastern Cape, South Africa
| | - Sandy J Thomalla
- Southern Ocean Carbon-Climate Observatory (SOCCO), Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), Rosebank, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Thulani P Makhalanyane
- SARChI Chair: Marine Microbiomics, microbiome@UP, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria (UP), Hatfield, Pretoria, South Africa
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The SHAPE Project: An Innovative Approach to Understanding Seasonal and Diel Dissolved Oxygen Dynamics in the Marano and Grado Lagoon (Adriatic Sea) under the WFD/2000/60/CE. JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/jmse10020208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Dissolved oxygen (DO) is a key element for the survival of marine organisms and is a supporting element in the current Water Framework Directive (WFD). DO deficiency is a common event that occurs in coastal environments such as estuaries and lagoons, but a long-term DO database that helps detect daily and seasonal oscillations is difficult to obtain with commonly used sampling and analytical procedures. In this work, a network of multi-parametric probes was deployed in the Marano and Grado Lagoon (northern Adriatic Sea, Italy) in order to obtain a dataset from the continuous monitoring of DO and complementary parameters. DO showed a high degree of variability both in terms of spatial and seasonal distribution and was dependent on solar radiation and water temperature. During the summer and in areas characterised by scarce water renewal, DO was below the threshold set as the minimum requirement for aquatic life, thus some water bodies (WBs) were classified as moderate sensu WFD. The inputs of freshwater discharge from inland and marine waters during tides are, however, able to well oxygenate most of the lagoon. These results will be useful in supporting the management and protection of this vulnerable environment.
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Silva L, Calleja ML, Huete-Stauffer TM, Ivetic S, Ansari MI, Viegas M, Morán XAG. Heterotrophic Bacterioplankton Growth and Physiological Properties in Red Sea Tropical Shallow Ecosystems With Different Dissolved Organic Matter Sources. Front Microbiol 2022; 12:784325. [PMID: 35046913 PMCID: PMC8762102 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.784325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the key role of heterotrophic bacterioplankton in the biogeochemistry of tropical coastal waters, their dynamics have been poorly investigated in relation to the different dissolved organic matter (DOM) pools usually available. In this study we conducted four seasonal incubations of unfiltered and predator-free seawater (Community and Filtered treatment, respectively) at three Red Sea coastal sites characterized by different dominant DOM sources: Seagrass, Mangrove, and Phytoplankton. Bacterial abundance, growth and physiological status were assessed by flow cytometry and community composition by 16S rRNA gene amplicons. The Seagrass site showed the highest initial abundances (6.93 ± 0.30 × 105 cells mL-1), coincident with maximum DOC concentrations (>100 μmol C L-1), while growth rates peaked at the Mangrove site (1.11 ± 0.09 d-1) and were consistently higher in the Filtered treatment. The ratio between the Filtered and Community maximum bacterial abundance (a proxy for top-down control by protistan grazers) showed minimum values at the Seagrass site (1.05 ± 0.05) and maximum at the Phytoplankton site (1.24 ± 0.30), suggesting protistan grazing was higher in open waters, especially in the first half of the year. Since the Mangrove and Seagrass sites shared a similar bacterial diversity, the unexpected lack of bacterial response to predators removal at the latter site should be explained by differences in DOM characteristics. Nitrogen-rich DOM and fluorescent protein-like components were significantly associated with enhanced specific growth rates along the inshore-offshore gradient. Our study confirms the hypotheses that top-down factors control bacterial standing stocks while specific growth rates are bottom-up controlled in representative Red Sea shallow, oligotrophic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Silva
- Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Maria Ll. Calleja
- Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Climate Geochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany
| | - Tamara M. Huete-Stauffer
- Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Snjezana Ivetic
- Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohd I. Ansari
- Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biosciences, Integral University, Lucknow, India
| | - Miguel Viegas
- Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Xosé Anxelu G. Morán
- Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- Centro Oceanográfico de Gijón/Xixón (IEO, CSIC), Gijón, Spain
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