1
|
Webb AE, Palacio-Castro AM, Cooke K, Eaton KR, Chomitz B, Soderberg N, Chakraborty M, Zagon Z, Boyd A, Kiel PM, DeMerlis A, Perry CT, Enochs IC. Rubble persistence under ocean acidification threatened by accelerated bioerosion and lower-density coral skeletons. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17371. [PMID: 38863267 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
As the balance between erosional and constructive processes on coral reefs tilts in favor of framework loss under human-induced local and global change, many reef habitats worldwide degrade and flatten. The resultant generation of coral rubble and the beds they form can have lasting effects on reef communities and structural complexity, threatening the continuity of reef ecological functions and the services they provide. To comprehensively capture changing framework processes and predict their evolution in the context of climate change, heavily colonized rubble fragments were exposed to ocean acidification (OA) conditions for 55 days. Controlled diurnal pH oscillations were incorporated in the treatments to account for the known impact of diel carbonate chemistry fluctuations on calcification and dissolution response to OA. Scenarios included contemporary pH (8.05 ± 0.025 diel fluctuation), elevated OA (7.90 ± 0.025), and high OA (7.70 ± 0.025). We used a multifaceted approach, combining chemical flux analyses, mass alteration measurements, and computed tomography scanning images to measure total and chemical bioerosion, as well as chemically driven secondary calcification. Rates of net carbonate loss measured in the contemporary conditions (1.36 kg m-2 year-1) were high compared to literature and increased in OA scenarios (elevated: 1.84 kg m-2 year-1 and high: 1.59 kg m-2 year-1). The acceleration of these rates was driven by enhanced chemical dissolution and reduced secondary calcification. Further analysis revealed that the extent of these changes was contingent on the density of the coral skeleton, in which the micro- and macroborer communities reside. Findings indicated that increased mechanical bioerosion rates occurred in rubble with lower skeletal density, which is of note considering that corals form lower-density skeletons under OA. These direct and indirect effects of OA on chemical and mechanical framework-altering processes will influence the permanence of this crucial habitat, carrying implications for biodiversity and reef ecosystem function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alice E Webb
- Geography, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
- Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, Ocean Chemistry and Ecosystem Division, NOAA, Miami, Florida, USA
- Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Ana M Palacio-Castro
- Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, Ocean Chemistry and Ecosystem Division, NOAA, Miami, Florida, USA
- Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Kenzie Cooke
- Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, Ocean Chemistry and Ecosystem Division, NOAA, Miami, Florida, USA
- Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Katherine R Eaton
- Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Benjamin Chomitz
- Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, Ocean Chemistry and Ecosystem Division, NOAA, Miami, Florida, USA
- Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Nash Soderberg
- Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, Ocean Chemistry and Ecosystem Division, NOAA, Miami, Florida, USA
- Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Morgan Chakraborty
- Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Zachary Zagon
- Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, Ocean Chemistry and Ecosystem Division, NOAA, Miami, Florida, USA
- Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Albert Boyd
- Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, Ocean Chemistry and Ecosystem Division, NOAA, Miami, Florida, USA
- Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Patrick M Kiel
- Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, Ocean Chemistry and Ecosystem Division, NOAA, Miami, Florida, USA
- Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Allyson DeMerlis
- Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, Ocean Chemistry and Ecosystem Division, NOAA, Miami, Florida, USA
- Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Chris T Perry
- Geography, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Ian C Enochs
- Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, Ocean Chemistry and Ecosystem Division, NOAA, Miami, Florida, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Saldaña PH, Angelini C, Bertness MD, Altieri AH. Dead foundation species drive ecosystem dynamics. Trends Ecol Evol 2024; 39:294-305. [PMID: 37923644 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Foundation species facilitate communities, modulate energy flow, and define ecosystems, but their ecological roles after death are frequently overlooked. Here, we reveal the widespread importance of their dead structures as unique, interacting components of ecosystems that are vulnerable to global change. Key metabolic activity, mobility, and morphology traits of foundation species either change or persist after death with important consequences for ecosystem functions, biodiversity, and subsidy dynamics. Dead foundation species frequently mediate ecosystem stability, resilience, and transitions, often through feedbacks, and harnessing their structural and trophic roles can improve restoration outcomes. Enhanced recognition of dead foundation species and their incorporation into habitat monitoring, ecological theory, and ecosystem forecasting can help solve the escalating conservation challenges of the Anthropocene.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patrick H Saldaña
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
| | - Christine Angelini
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Mark D Bertness
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Andrew H Altieri
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Łaska W, Rodríguez-Tovar FJ, Uchman A. New insights into endolithic palaeocommunity development in mobile hard substrate using CT imaging of bioeroded clasts from the Pliocene (Almería, SE Spain). THE SCIENCE OF NATURE - NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN 2024; 111:8. [PMID: 38329546 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-024-01892-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Bioeroded carbonate clasts from a Pliocene shallow-marine succession of Almería (SE Spain, Betic Cordillera) were analysed with computed tomography (CT). This revealed the detailed 3D architecture of bioerosion structures hidden within and allowed for their ichnotaxonomic identification (14 ichnospecies of 5 ichnogenera) and quantification. Borings are produced by worms, mostly polychaetes and sipunculids dominated, followed by bivalves and lastly by sponges. The crosscutting relationship between the borings and their preservation characteristics points to a complex colonization history of the clasts with repeated bioerosive episodes interrupted by physical disturbances, including overturning and abrasion of the clasts followed by their recolonization. Our findings facilitated paleoenvironmental interpretation and can be compared to analogous modern-day ecological succession. The sharp dominance of worm borings - early successional species - may be related to frequent, periodic, physical disturbance that possibly prevented the cobble-dwelling macroboring community from being overtaken by sponges - late successional taxa. CT, hand sample and petrographic observations detected, aside from borings, other irregularly shaped pores which are interpreted to be generated by diagenetic processes including dolomitization, silicification and dissolution, representing an intraparticle moldic and moldic enlarged porosity. Boring porosity crosscutting the diagenetically altered grains suggests the later occurrence of bioerosion processes. Irregular shapes ranging from roughly spherical, elongate sub-polyhedral to amoeboid resemble morphologies produced by modern sponges. Moldic pores possibly acted as primary domiciles for boring sponges, which infested, altered and enlarged pre-existing pores as they grew (as happens in the modern), providing an example of how biological and non-biological processes interacted and together influenced endolithic palaeocommunity development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Weronika Łaska
- Faculty of Geography and Geology, Institute of Geological Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 3a, 30-387, Kraków, Poland.
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Francisco J Rodríguez-Tovar
- Departamento de Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, 18002, Granada, Spain
| | - Alfred Uchman
- Faculty of Geography and Geology, Institute of Geological Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 3a, 30-387, Kraków, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
A 3D Innovative Approach Supporting the Description of Boring Sponges of the Precious Red Coral Corallium rubrum. JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/jmse10070868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/07/2022]
Abstract
The carbonatic scleraxis of Corallium rubrum (L.), commonly known as red coral, is often found infested by excavating sponges. These boring organisms produce galleries inside the compact axis of the coral in a variety of shapes compromising the integrity of the skeleton and reducing its commercial value. Three sponge species, already known to bore into Corallium rubrum, have been identified in colonies collected from Cape Verde Archipelago—Alectona millari (Carter, 1879); Dotona pulchella mediterranea (Rosell and Uriz, 2002); and Thoosa armata (Topsent, 1888)—together with a new species belonging to the genus Alectona and here described. SEM analysis provided evidence of the microerosion patterns of these species, confirming the presence of radial scars overlapped with the concentric ones, in T. armata. For the first time, microcomputed tomography was employed to obtain three-dimensional reconstructions of sponge excavations inside the red coral scleraxis and to estimate the eroded volume.
Collapse
|
5
|
Gaylarde C, Little B. Biodeterioration of stone and metal - Fundamental microbial cycling processes with spatial and temporal scale differences. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 823:153193. [PMID: 35122860 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Fundamental processes for the biodeterioration of stone and metal involve many of the same microbially mediated reactions - oxidation, reduction, acid dissolution and elemental cycling - resulting from the activities of many of the same groups of environmental microorganisms. Differences depend on the nature of the substratum - stone vs. metal - and the composition of the surroundings, whether terrestrial (stone) or aquatic (stone and metal). Reactions within surface-related biofilms dominate the biodeterioration of metals and contribute greatly to the biodeterioration of stone. In the latter, phototrophic organisms, and especially cyanobacteria, are important first participants, while metal biodeterioration is almost entirely associated with bacteria, archaea and fungi. Biofilms on metal surfaces can produce chemical and electrochemical responses. While electrochemical responses are absent in stone, extracellular electron transfer can be a biodeterioration mechanism in some iron-rich rocks. Microorganisms in biofilms can penetrate and create fissures or cracks in stone and metals. However, the most obvious differences in the reactions of built stone and metal structures are related to the definition of failure, length of time required for a defined failure of the substratum, the area over which the failure occurs and the consequences of failure. Time and space are, similarly, quite distinct for biological breakdown and mineral cycling of metal and stone, with stone/rock cycling potentially occurring over thousands of years and kilometers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christine Gaylarde
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, Oklahoma University, 770 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK 73019, USA
| | - Brenda Little
- BJ Little Corrosion Consulting, LLC, 6528 Alakoko Drive, Diamondhead, MS 39525, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Zheng J, Wu Z, Nie J, Lei L, Zhou Z, Li J. From rock‐boring organisms to tunnel boring machines: A new rock breaking technology by bioinspiration. BIOSURFACE AND BIOTRIBOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1049/bsb2.12025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zheng
- Tribology Research Institute Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials Ministry of Education Southwest Jiaotong University Chengdu China
| | - Zhixin Wu
- Tribology Research Institute Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials Ministry of Education Southwest Jiaotong University Chengdu China
| | - Jiahui Nie
- Tribology Research Institute Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials Ministry of Education Southwest Jiaotong University Chengdu China
| | - Lei Lei
- Tribology Research Institute Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials Ministry of Education Southwest Jiaotong University Chengdu China
| | - Zhongrong Zhou
- Tribology Research Institute Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials Ministry of Education Southwest Jiaotong University Chengdu China
| | - Jianbin Li
- China Railway Engineering Equipment Group Corporation Limited Zhengzhou China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Stravoravdis S, Shipway JR, Goodell B. How Do Shipworms Eat Wood? Screening Shipworm Gill Symbiont Genomes for Lignin-Modifying Enzymes. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:665001. [PMID: 34322098 PMCID: PMC8312274 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.665001] [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: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Shipworms are ecologically and economically important mollusks that feed on woody plant material (lignocellulosic biomass) in marine environments. Digestion occurs in a specialized cecum, reported to be virtually sterile and lacking resident gut microbiota. Wood-degrading CAZymes are produced both endogenously and by gill endosymbiotic bacteria, with extracellular enzymes from the latter being transported to the gut. Previous research has predominantly focused on how these animals process the cellulose component of woody plant material, neglecting the breakdown of lignin – a tough, aromatic polymer which blocks access to the holocellulose components of wood. Enzymatic or non-enzymatic modification and depolymerization of lignin has been shown to be required in other wood-degrading biological systems as a precursor to cellulose deconstruction. We investigated the genomes of five shipworm gill bacterial symbionts obtained from the Joint Genome Institute Integrated Microbial Genomes and Microbiomes Expert Review for the production of lignin-modifying enzymes, or ligninases. The genomes were searched for putative ligninases using the Joint Genome Institute’s Function Profile tool and blastp analyses. The resulting proteins were then modeled using SWISS-MODEL. Although each bacterial genome possessed at least four predicted ligninases, the percent identities and protein models were of low quality and were unreliable. Prior research demonstrates limited endogenous ability of shipworms to modify lignin at the chemical/molecular level. Similarly, our results reveal that shipworm bacterial gill-symbiont enzymes are unlikely to play a role in lignin modification during lignocellulose digestion in the shipworm gut. This suggests that our understanding of how these keystone organisms digest and process lignocellulose is incomplete, and further research into non-enzymatic and/or other unknown mechanisms for lignin modification is required.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefanos Stravoravdis
- Goodell Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
| | - J Reuben Shipway
- Goodell Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States.,Centre for Enzyme Innovation, School of Biological Sciences, Institute of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, United Kingdom
| | - Barry Goodell
- Goodell Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Schätzle PK, Wisshak M, Bick A, Freiwald A, Kieneke A. Exploring confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and fluorescence staining as a tool for imaging and quantifying traces of marine microbioerosion and their trace-making microendoliths. J Microsc 2021; 284:118-131. [PMID: 34231217 DOI: 10.1111/jmi.13046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Microscopic organisms that penetrate calcareous structures by actively dissolving the carbonate matrix, namely microendoliths, have an important influence on the breakdown of marine carbonates. The study of these microorganisms and the bioerosion traces they produce is crucial for understanding the impact of their bioeroding activity on the carbonate recycling in environments under global climate change. Traditionally, either the extracted microendoliths were studied by conventional microscopy or their traces were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of epoxy resin casts. A visualisation of the microendoliths in situ, that is within their complex microbioerosion structures, was previously limited to the laborious and time-consuming double-inclusion cast-embedding technique. Here, we assess the applicability of various fluorescence staining methods in combination with confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) for the study of fungal microendoliths in situ in partly translucent mollusc shells. Among the tested methods, specific staining with dyes against the DNA (nuclei) of the trace making organisms turned out to be a useful and reproducible approach. Bright and clearly delineated fluorescence signals of microendolithic nuclei allow, for instance, a differentiation between abandoned and still populated microborings. Furthermore, infiltrating the microborings with fluorescently stained resin seems to be of great capability for the visualisation and quantification of microbioerosion structures in their original spatial orientation. Potential fields of application are rapid assessments of endolithic bio- and ichnodiversity and the quantification of the impact of microendoliths on the overall calcium carbonate turnover. The method can be applied after CLSM of the stained microendoliths and retains the opportunity for a subsequent investigation of epoxy casts with SEM. This allows a three-fold approach in studying microendoliths in the context of their microborings, thereby fostering the integration of biological and ichnological aspects of microbial bioerosion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Philipp-Konrad Schätzle
- Institut für Biowissenschaften, Meeresbiologie, Universität Rostock, Albert-Einstein-Straße 3, Rostock, Germany
| | - Max Wisshak
- Senckenberg am Meer, Abteilung für Meeresforschung, Südstrand 40, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Andreas Bick
- Institut für Biowissenschaften, Allgemeine & Spezielle Zoologie, Universität Rostock, Universitätsplatz 2, Rostock, Germany
| | - André Freiwald
- Senckenberg am Meer, Abteilung für Meeresforschung, Südstrand 40, Wilhelmshaven, Germany.,Marum - Zentrum für Marine Umweltwissenschaften, Universität Bremen, Loebener Straße 8, Bremen, Germany
| | - Alexander Kieneke
- Senckenberg am Meer, Deutsches Zentrum für Marine Biodiversitätsforschung, Südstrand 44, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Abstract
There is a growing interest in the endolithic microbial biofilms inhabiting skeletons of living corals because of their contribution to coral reef bioerosion and the reputed benefits they provide to live coral hosts. Here, we sought to identify possible correlations between coral interspecific patterns in skeletal morphology and variability in the biomass of, and chlorophyll concentrations within, the endolithic biofilm. We measured five morphological characteristics of five coral species and the biomasses/chlorophyll concentrations of their endolithic microbiome, and we compare interspecific patterns in these variables. We propose that the specific density of a coral’s skeleton and its capacity for capturing and scattering incident light are the main correlates of endolithic microbial biomass. Our data suggest that the correlation between light capture and endolithic biomass is likely influenced by how the green microalgae (obligatory microborers) respond to skeletal variability. These results demonstrate that coral species differ significantly in their endolithic microbial biomass and that their skeletal structure could be used to predict these interspecific differences. Further exploring how and why the endolithic microbiome varies between coral species is vital in defining the role of these microbes on coral reefs, both now and in the future. IMPORTANCE Microbial communities living inside the skeletons of living corals play a variety of important roles within the coral meta-organism, both symbiotic and parasitic. Properly contextualizing the contribution of these enigmatic microbes to the life history of coral reefs requires knowledge of how these endolithic biofilms vary between coral species. To this effect, we measured differences in the morphology of five coral species and correlate these with variability in the biomass of the skeletal biofilms. We found that the density of the skeleton and its capacity to trap incoming light, as opposed to scattering it back into the surrounding water, both significantly correlated with skeletal microbial biomass. These patterns are likely driven by how dominant green microalgae in the endolithic niche, such as Ostreobium spp., are responding to the skeletal morphology. This study highlights that the structure of a coral’s skeleton could be used to predict the biomass of its resident endolithic biofilm.
Collapse
|
10
|
Fordyce AJ, Ainsworth TD, Leggat W. Microalgae, a Boring Bivalve and a Coral-A Newly Described Association Between Two Coral Reef Bioeroders Within Their Coral Host. Integr Org Biol 2020; 2:obaa035. [PMID: 33791573 PMCID: PMC7750977 DOI: 10.1093/iob/obaa035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Bioeroding organisms play an important part in shaping structural complexity and carbonate budgets on coral reefs. Species interactions between various bioeroders are an important area of study, as these interactions can affect net rates of bioerosion within a community and mediate how bioeroders respond to environmental change. Here we test the hypothesis that the biomass of endolithic bioeroding microalgae is positively associated with the presence of a macroboring bivalve. We compared the biomass and chlorophyll concentrations of microendolithic biofilms in branches of the coral Isopora palifera (Lamarck, 1816) that were or were not inhabited by a macroboring bivalve. Those branches with a macroborer present hosted ∼80% higher microbial biomass compared to adjacent branches from the same coral with no macroborer. Increased concentrations of chlorophyll b indicated that this was partly due to a greater abundance of green microalgae. This newly described association has important implications for the coral host as both the bivalve and the microalgae have been hypothesized as symbiotic.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A J Fordyce
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Ourimbah, NSW 2258, Australia
| | - T D Ainsworth
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - W Leggat
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Ourimbah, NSW 2258, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Symbiotic cooperation between freshwater rock-boring bivalves and microorganisms promotes silicate bioerosion. Sci Rep 2020; 10:13385. [PMID: 32770130 PMCID: PMC7415154 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-70265-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Bioerosion is a process with a high socio-economic impact that contributes to coastal retreat, and likely to increase with climate change. Whereas limestone bioerosion is well explained by a combination of mechanical and chemical pathways, the bioerosion mechanisms of silicates, which are harder and chemically more resistant, remain elusive. Here we investigated the interface between siltstone and freshwater rock-boring bivalves Lignopholas fluminalis (Bivalvia: Pholadidae). Remains of a microbial biofilm were observed only in the poorly consolidated part of the rock within the macroborings created by bivalves. Secondary Mn-bearing minerals identified in the biofilm suggest that microbes promoted silicate rock weathering by dissolving Mn-rich chlorites. Moreover, hard mineral debris found in a biofilm attached to the shells likely contributed to the abrasion of the rock substrate. Thus, beyond the classical view of chemical and/or mechanical action(s) of macroborers, silicate bioerosion may also be facilitated by an unexpected synergistic association between macro- and microorganisms.
Collapse
|
12
|
Fordyce AJ, Knuefing L, Ainsworth TD, Beeching L, Turner M, Leggat W. Understanding decay in marine calcifiers: Micro‐CT analysis of skeletal structures provides insight into the impacts of a changing climate in marine ecosystems. Methods Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J. Fordyce
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences University of Newcastle Ourimbah NSW Australia
| | - Lydia Knuefing
- Research School of Physics Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
| | - Tracy D. Ainsworth
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Levi Beeching
- National Laboratory for X‐ray Micro Computed Tomography Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
| | - Michael Turner
- National Laboratory for X‐ray Micro Computed Tomography Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
| | - William Leggat
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences University of Newcastle Ourimbah NSW Australia
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Favero-Longo SE, Viles HA. A review of the nature, role and control of lithobionts on stone cultural heritage: weighing-up and managing biodeterioration and bioprotection. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2020; 36:100. [PMID: 32607867 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-020-02878-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Lithobionts (rock-dwelling organisms) have been recognized as agents of aesthetic and physico-chemical deterioration of stonework. In consequence, their removal from cultural heritage stone surfaces (CHSS) is widely considered a necessary step in conservation interventions. On the other hand, lithobiontic communities, including microbial biofilms ('biological patinas'), can help integrate CHSS with their environmental setting and enhance biodiversity. Moreover, in some cases bioprotective effects have been reported and even interpreted as potential biotechnological solutions for conservation. This paper reviews the plethora of traditional and innovative methodologies to characterize lithobionts on CHSS in terms of biodiversity, interaction with the stone substrate and impacts on durability. In order to develop the best management and conservation strategies for CHSS, such diagnosis should be acquired on a case-by-case basis, as generalized approaches are unlikely to be suitable for all lithobionts, lithologies, environmental and cultural contexts or types of stonework. Strategies to control biodeteriogenic lithobionts on CHSS should similarly be based on experimental evaluation of their efficacy, including long-term monitoring of the effects on bioreceptivity, and of their environmental safety. This review examines what is known about the efficacy of control methods based on traditional-commercial biocides, as well as those based on innovative application of substances of plant and microbial origin, and physical techniques. A framework for providing a balanced scientific assessment of the role of lithobionts on CHSS and integrating this knowledge into management and conservation decision-making is presented.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Enrico Favero-Longo
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biologia dei Sistemi, Università degli Studi di Torino, Viale Mattioli 25, 10125, Torino, Italy.
| | - Heather A Viles
- School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Liversage K, Kotta J, Fraser CML, Figueira WF, Coleman RA. The overlooked role of taphonomy in ecology: post‐mortem processes can outweigh recruitment effects on community functions. OIKOS 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.06780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kiran Liversage
- Centre for Research on Ecological Impacts of Coastal Cities, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Marine Ecology Laboratories (A11), The Univ. of Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
- Estonian Marine Inst., Univ. of Tartu Mäealuse 14 EE‐12618 Tallinn Estonia
| | - Jonne Kotta
- Estonian Marine Inst., Univ. of Tartu Mäealuse 14 EE‐12618 Tallinn Estonia
| | - Clarissa M. L. Fraser
- Centre for Research on Ecological Impacts of Coastal Cities, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Marine Ecology Laboratories (A11), The Univ. of Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
| | - Will F. Figueira
- Centre for Research on Ecological Impacts of Coastal Cities, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Marine Ecology Laboratories (A11), The Univ. of Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
| | - Ross A. Coleman
- Centre for Research on Ecological Impacts of Coastal Cities, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Marine Ecology Laboratories (A11), The Univ. of Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Shipway JR, Altamia MA, Rosenberg G, Concepcion GP, Haygood MG, Distel DL. A rock-boring and rock-ingesting freshwater bivalve (shipworm) from the Philippines. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20190434. [PMID: 31213180 PMCID: PMC6599978 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Shipworms are a group of wood-boring and wood-feeding bivalves of extraordinary economic, ecological and historical importance. Known in the literature since the fourth century BC, shipworms are both destructive pests and critical providers of ecosystem services. All previously described shipworms are obligate wood-borers, completing all or part of their life cycle in wood and most are thought to use wood as a primary source of nutrition. Here, we report and describe a new anatomically and morphologically divergent species of shipworm that bores in carbonate limestone rather than in woody substrates and lacks adaptations associated with wood-boring and wood digestion. The species is highly unusual in that it bores by ingesting rock and is among the very few known freshwater rock-boring macrobioeroders. The calcareous burrow linings of this species resemble fossil borings normally associated with bivalve bioerosion of wood substrates (ichnospecies Teredolites longissimus) in marginal and fully marine settings. The occurrence of this newly recognized shipworm in a lithic substrate has implications for teredinid phylogeny and evolution, and interpreting palaeoenvironmental conditions based on fossil bioerosion features.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J Reuben Shipway
- 1 Ocean Genome Legacy Center, Department of Marine and Environmental Science, Northeastern University , Nahant, MA , USA
| | - Marvin A Altamia
- 1 Ocean Genome Legacy Center, Department of Marine and Environmental Science, Northeastern University , Nahant, MA , USA
| | - Gary Rosenberg
- 2 Academy of Natural Sciences, Drexel University , Philadelphia, PA , USA
| | - Gisela P Concepcion
- 3 Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines , Diliman, Quezon City , Philippines
| | - Margo G Haygood
- 4 Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Utah , Salt Lake City, UT , USA
| | - Daniel L Distel
- 1 Ocean Genome Legacy Center, Department of Marine and Environmental Science, Northeastern University , Nahant, MA , USA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Cheng BS, Altieri AH, Torchin ME, Ruiz GM. Can marine reserves restore lost ecosystem functioning? A global synthesis. Ecology 2019; 100:e02617. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Revised: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Brian S. Cheng
- Tennenbaum Marine Observatories Network Smithsonian Institution Washington District of Columbia 20013 USA
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Edgewater Maryland 21037 USA
- Department of Environmental Conservation University of Massachusetts Amherst Massachusetts 01003 USA
| | - Andrew H. Altieri
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Apartado 0843‐03092 Balboa Republic of Panama
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences University of Florida Gainesville Florida 32611 USA
| | - Mark E. Torchin
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Apartado 0843‐03092 Balboa Republic of Panama
| | - Gregory M. Ruiz
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Edgewater Maryland 21037 USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Wizemann A, Nandini SD, Stuhldreier I, Sánchez-Noguera C, Wisshak M, Westphal H, Rixen T, Wild C, Reymond CE. Rapid bioerosion in a tropical upwelling coral reef. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0202887. [PMID: 30208050 PMCID: PMC6135564 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0202887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2017] [Accepted: 08/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Coral reefs persist in an accretion-erosion balance, which is critical for understanding the natural variability of sediment production, reef accretion, and their effects on the carbonate budget. Bioerosion (i.e. biodegradation of substrate) and encrustation (i.e. calcified overgrowth on substrate) influence the carbonate budget and the ecological functions of coral reefs, by substrate formation/consolidation/erosion, food availability and nutrient cycling. This study investigates settlement succession and carbonate budget change by bioeroding and encrusting calcifying organisms on experimentally deployed coral substrates (skeletal fragments of Stylophora pistillata branches). The substrates were deployed in a marginal coral reef located in the Gulf of Papagayo (Costa Rica, Eastern Tropical Pacific) for four months during the northern winter upwelling period (December 2013 to March 2014), and consecutively sampled after each month. Due to the upwelling environmental conditions within the Eastern Tropical Pacific, this region serves as a natural laboratory to study ecological processes such as bioerosion, which may reflect climate change scenarios. Time-series analyses showed a rapid settlement of bioeroders, particularly of lithophagine bivalves of the genus Lithophaga/Leiosolenus (Dillwyn, 1817), within the first two months of exposure. The observed enhanced calcium carbonate loss of coral substrate (>30%) may influence seawater carbon chemistry. This is evident by measurements of an elevated seawater pH (>8.2) and aragonite saturation state (Ωarag >3) at Matapalo Reef during the upwelling period, when compared to a previous upwelling event observed at a nearby site in distance to a coral reef (Marina Papagayo). Due to the resulting local carbonate buffer effect of the seawater, an influx of atmospheric CO2 into reef waters was observed. Substrates showed no secondary cements in thin-section analyses, despite constant seawater carbonate oversaturation (Ωarag >2.8) during the field experiment. Micro Computerized Tomography (μCT) scans and microcast-embeddings of the substrates revealed that the carbonate loss was primarily due to internal macrobioerosion and an increase in microbioerosion. This study emphasizes the interconnected effects of upwelling and carbonate bioerosion on the reef carbonate budget and the ecological turnovers of carbonate producers in tropical coral reefs under environmental change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- André Wizemann
- Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research, ZMT, Bremen, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Sri D. Nandini
- Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research, ZMT, Bremen, Germany
- University of Bremen, MARUM, Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, Bremen, Germany
| | - Ines Stuhldreier
- Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research, ZMT, Bremen, Germany
| | - Celeste Sánchez-Noguera
- Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research, ZMT, Bremen, Germany
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, CIMAR, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro de Montes de Oca, San José, Costa Rica
| | | | - Hildegard Westphal
- Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research, ZMT, Bremen, Germany
- University of Bremen, Faculty of Geosciences, Bremen, Germany
| | - Tim Rixen
- Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research, ZMT, Bremen, Germany
| | - Christian Wild
- University of Bremen, Faculty of Biology & Chemistry, Marine Ecology Department, Bremen, Germany
| | | |
Collapse
|