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Eisenlord ME, Agnew MV, Winningham M, Lobo OJ, Vompe AD, Wippel B, Friedman CS, Harvell CD, Burge CA. High infectivity and waterborne transmission of seagrass wasting disease. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:240663. [PMID: 39113773 PMCID: PMC11303036 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.240663] [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: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
Pathogen transmission pathways are fundamental to understanding the epidemiology of infectious diseases yet are challenging to estimate in nature, particularly in the ocean. Seagrass wasting disease (SWD), caused by Labyrinthula zosterae, impacts seagrass beds worldwide and is thought to be a contributing factor to declines; however, little is known about natural transmission of SWD. In this study, we used field and laboratory experiments to test SWD transmission pathways and temperature sensitivity. To test transmission modes in nature, we conducted three field experiments out-planting sentinel Zostera marina shoots within and adjacent to natural Z. marina beds (20 ± 5 and 110 ± 5 m from bed edge). Infection rates and severity did not differ among outplant locations, implicating waterborne transmission. The infectious dose of L. zosterae through waterborne exposure was assessed in a controlled laboratory experiment. The dose to 50% disease was 6 cells ml-1 and did not differ with the temperatures tested (7.5°C and 15°C). Our results show L. zosterae is transmissible through water without direct contact with infected plants. Understanding the transmission dynamics of this disease in the context of changing ocean conditions will improve Z. marina protection and restoration in critical coastal habitats worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan E. Eisenlord
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY14853, USA
| | - M. Victoria Agnew
- Institute of Marine Environmental Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD21202, USA
| | - Miranda Winningham
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY14853, USA
| | - Olivia J. Lobo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY14853, USA
| | - Alex D. Vompe
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR97331, USA
| | - Bryanda Wippel
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195, USA
| | - Carolyn S. Friedman
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195, USA
| | - C. Drew Harvell
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY14853, USA
| | - Colleen A. Burge
- Institute of Marine Environmental Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD21202, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD21201, USA
- California Department of Fish & Wildlife, University of California, Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory, Bodega Bay, CA94923, USA
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2
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Pagenkopp Lohan KM, Gignoux-Wolfsohn SA, Ruiz GM. Biodiversity differentially impacts disease dynamics across marine and terrestrial habitats. Trends Parasitol 2024; 40:106-117. [PMID: 38212198 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.12.004] [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: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
The relationship between biodiversity and infectious disease, where increased biodiversity leads to decreased disease risk, originated from research in terrestrial disease systems and remains relatively underexplored in marine systems. Understanding the impacts of biodiversity on disease in marine versus terrestrial systems is key to continued marine ecosystem functioning, sustainable aquaculture, and restoration projects. We compare the biodiversity-disease relationship across terrestrial and marine systems, considering biodiversity at six levels: intraspecific host diversity, host microbiomes, interspecific host diversity, biotic vectors and reservoirs, parasite consumers, and parasites. We highlight gaps in knowledge regarding how these six levels of biodiversity impact diseases in marine systems and propose two model systems, the Perkinsus-oyster and Labyrinthula-seagrass systems, to address these gaps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrina M Pagenkopp Lohan
- Coastal Disease Ecology Laboratory, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD 21037, USA.
| | - Sarah A Gignoux-Wolfsohn
- Coastal Disease Ecology Laboratory, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD 21037, USA; Current address: Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, USA
| | - Gregory M Ruiz
- Marine Invasions Research Laboratory, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD 21037, USA
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3
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Graham OJ, Adamczyk EM, Schenk S, Dawkins P, Burke S, Chei E, Cisz K, Dayal S, Elstner J, Hausner ALP, Hughes T, Manglani O, McDonald M, Mikles C, Poslednik A, Vinton A, Wegener Parfrey L, Harvell CD. Manipulation of the seagrass-associated microbiome reduces disease severity. Environ Microbiol 2024; 26:e16582. [PMID: 38195072 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Host-associated microbes influence host health and function and can be a first line of defence against infections. While research increasingly shows that terrestrial plant microbiomes contribute to bacterial, fungal, and oomycete disease resistance, no comparable experimental work has investigated marine plant microbiomes or more diverse disease agents. We test the hypothesis that the eelgrass (Zostera marina) leaf microbiome increases resistance to seagrass wasting disease. From field eelgrass with paired diseased and asymptomatic tissue, 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing revealed that bacterial composition and richness varied markedly between diseased and asymptomatic tissue in one of the two years. This suggests that the influence of disease on eelgrass microbial communities may vary with environmental conditions. We next experimentally reduced the eelgrass microbiome with antibiotics and bleach, then inoculated plants with Labyrinthula zosterae, the causative agent of wasting disease. We detected significantly higher disease severity in eelgrass with a native microbiome than an experimentally reduced microbiome. Our results over multiple experiments do not support a protective role of the eelgrass microbiome against L. zosterae. Further studies of these marine host-microbe-pathogen relationships may continue to show new relationships between plant microbiomes and diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia J Graham
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Emily M Adamczyk
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre, Unceded xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Territory, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Siobhan Schenk
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Phoebe Dawkins
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Samantha Burke
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Emily Chei
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Kaitlyn Cisz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Sukanya Dayal
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Jack Elstner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | | | - Taylor Hughes
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Omisha Manglani
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Miles McDonald
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Chloe Mikles
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Anna Poslednik
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Audrey Vinton
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Laura Wegener Parfrey
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre, Unceded xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Territory, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - C Drew Harvell
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
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4
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Graham OJ, Stephens T, Rappazzo B, Klohmann C, Dayal S, Adamczyk EM, Olson A, Hessing-Lewis M, Eisenlord M, Yang B, Burge C, Gomes CP, Harvell D. Deeper habitats and cooler temperatures moderate a climate-driven seagrass disease. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220016. [PMID: 36744566 PMCID: PMC9900705 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Eelgrass creates critical coastal habitats worldwide and fulfills essential ecosystem functions as a foundation seagrass. Climate warming and disease threaten eelgrass, causing mass mortalities and cascading ecological impacts. Subtidal meadows are deeper than intertidal and may also provide refuge from the temperature-sensitive seagrass wasting disease. From cross-boundary surveys of 5761 eelgrass leaves from Alaska to Washington and assisted with a machine-language algorithm, we measured outbreak conditions. Across summers 2017 and 2018, disease prevalence was 16% lower for subtidal than intertidal leaves; in both tidal zones, disease risk was lower for plants in cooler conditions. Even in subtidal meadows, which are more environmentally stable and sheltered from temperature and other stressors common for intertidal eelgrass, we observed high disease levels, with half of the sites exceeding 50% prevalence. Models predicted reduced disease prevalence and severity under cooler conditions, confirming a strong interaction between disease and temperature. At both tidal zones, prevalence was lower in more dense eelgrass meadows, suggesting disease is suppressed in healthy, higher density meadows. These results underscore the value of subtidal eelgrass and meadows in cooler locations as refugia, indicate that cooling can suppress disease, and have implications for eelgrass conservation and management under future climate change scenarios. This article is part of the theme issue 'Infectious disease ecology and evolution in a changing world'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia J. Graham
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-0001, USA
| | | | - Brendan Rappazzo
- Department of Computer Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Corinne Klohmann
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-0001, USA
| | - Sukanya Dayal
- Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA,Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina, Wilmington, NC 28403-5915, USA
| | - Emily M. Adamczyk
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Unceded xməθkəy̓əm (Musqueam) Territory, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4
| | - Angeleen Olson
- Hakai Institute, Calvert Island, P.O. Box 25039, Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada V9W 0B7
| | - Margot Hessing-Lewis
- Hakai Institute, Calvert Island, P.O. Box 25039, Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada V9W 0B7
| | - Morgan Eisenlord
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-0001, USA
| | - Bo Yang
- Department of Urban and Regional Planning, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA 95112, USA
| | - Colleen Burge
- Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Carla P. Gomes
- Department of Computer Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Drew Harvell
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-0001, USA
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5
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Schenck FR, DuBois K, Kardish MR, Stachowicz JJ, Hughes AR. The effect of warming on seagrass wasting disease depends on host genotypic identity and diversity. Ecology 2023; 104:e3959. [PMID: 36530038 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Temperature increases due to climate change have affected the distribution and severity of diseases in natural systems, causing outbreaks that can destroy host populations. Host identity, diversity, and the associated microbiome can affect host responses to both infection and temperature, but little is known about how they could function as important mediators of disease in altered thermal environments. We conducted an 8-week warming experiment to test the independent and interactive effects of warming, host genotypic identity, and host genotypic diversity on the prevalence and intensity of infections of seagrass (Zostera marina) by the wasting disease parasite (Labyrinthula zosterae). At elevated temperatures, we found that genotypically diverse host assemblages had reduced infection intensity, but not reduced prevalence, relative to less diverse assemblages. This dilution effect on parasite intensity was the result of both host composition effects as well as emergent properties of biodiversity. In contrast with the benefits of genotypic diversity under warming, diversity actually increased parasite intensity slightly in ambient temperatures. We found mixed support for the hypothesis that a growth-defense trade-off contributed to elevated disease intensity under warming. Changes in the abundance (but not composition) of a few taxa in the host microbiome were correlated with genotype-specific responses to wasting disease infections under warming, consistent with the emerging evidence linking changes in the host microbiome to the outcome of host-parasite interactions. This work emphasizes the context dependence of biodiversity-disease relationships and highlights the potential importance of interactions among biodiversity loss, climate change, and disease outbreaks in a key foundation species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Forest R Schenck
- Marine Science Center, Northeastern University, Nahant, Massachusetts, USA.,Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, Gloucester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Katherine DuBois
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Melissa R Kardish
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - John J Stachowicz
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, California, USA.,Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - A Randall Hughes
- Marine Science Center, Northeastern University, Nahant, Massachusetts, USA
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6
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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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7
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Menning DM, Gravley HA, Cady MN, Pepin D, Wyllie-Echeverria S, Ward DH, Talbot SL. Metabarcoding of environmental samples suggest wide distribution of eelgrass (Zostera marina) pathogens in the north Pacific. METABARCODING AND METAGENOMICS 2021. [DOI: 10.3897/mbmg.5.62823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Seagrass meadows provide important ecological services to the marine environment but are declining worldwide. Although eelgrass meadows in the north Pacific are thought to be relatively healthy, few studies have assessed the presence of known disease pathogens in these meadows. In a pilot study to test the efficacy of the methods and to provide foundational disease biodiversity data in the north Pacific, we leveraged metabarcoding of environmental DNA extracted from water, sediment, and eelgrass tissue samples collected from five widely distributed eelgrass meadows in Alaska and one in Japan and uncovered wide prevalence of two classes of pathogenic organisms – Labyrinthula zosterae and other associated strains of Labyrinthula, and the Phytophthora/Halophytophthora blight species complex – known to have caused decline in eelgrass (Zostera marina) elsewhere in the species’ global distribution. Although the distribution of these disease organisms is not well understood in the north Pacific, we uncovered the presence of at least one eelgrass pathogen at every locality sampled.
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8
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Murphy GE, Dunic JC, Adamczyk EM, Bittick SJ, Côté IM, Cristiani J, Geissinger EA, Gregory RS, Lotze HK, O’Connor MI, Araújo CA, Rubidge EM, Templeman ND, Wong MC. From coast to coast to coast: ecology and management of seagrass ecosystems across Canada. Facets (Ott) 2021. [DOI: 10.1139/facets-2020-0020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Seagrass meadows are among the most productive and diverse marine ecosystems, providing essential structure, functions, and services. They are also among the most impacted by human activities and in urgent need of better management and protection. In Canada, eelgrass ( Zostera marina) meadows are found along the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic coasts, and thus occur across a wide range of biogeographic conditions. Here, we synthesize knowledge of eelgrass ecosystems across Canada’s coasts, highlighting commonalities and differences in environmental conditions, plant, habitat, and community structure, as well as current trends and human impacts. Across regions, eelgrass life history, phenology, and general species assemblages are similar. However, distinct regional differences occur in environmental conditions, particularly with water temperature and nutrient availability. There is considerable variation in the types and strengths of human activities among regions. The impacts of coastal development are prevalent in all regions, while other impacts are of concern for specific regions, e.g., nutrient loading in the Atlantic and impacts from the logging industry in the Pacific. In addition, climate change represents a growing threat to eelgrass meadows. We review current management and conservation efforts and discuss the implications of observed differences from coast to coast to coast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace E.P. Murphy
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
- Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 1 Challenger Drive, Dartmouth, NS B2Y 4A2, Canada
| | - Jillian C. Dunic
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Emily M. Adamczyk
- Department of Zoology, Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Sarah J. Bittick
- Department of Zoology, Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Isabelle M. Côté
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - John Cristiani
- Department of Zoology, Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | | | - Robert S. Gregory
- Department of Biology, Memorial University, St. John’s, NL A1C 5S7, Canada
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, St. John’s, NL A1A 5J7, Canada
| | - Heike K. Lotze
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Mary I. O’Connor
- Department of Zoology, Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Carlos A.S. Araújo
- Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, QC G5L 3A1, Canada
| | - Emily M. Rubidge
- Institute of Ocean Sciences, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Sidney, BC V8L 4B2, Canada
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | | | - Melisa C. Wong
- Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 1 Challenger Drive, Dartmouth, NS B2Y 4A2, Canada
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9
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Developing an Introductory UAV/Drone Mapping Training Program for Seagrass Monitoring and Research. DRONES 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/drones4040070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Unoccupied Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), or drone technologies, with their high spatial resolution, temporal flexibility, and ability to repeat photogrammetry, afford a significant advancement in other remote sensing approaches for coastal mapping, habitat monitoring, and environmental management. However, geographical drone mapping and in situ fieldwork often come with a steep learning curve requiring a background in drone operations, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing and related analytical techniques. Such a learning curve can be an obstacle for field implementation for researchers, community organizations and citizen scientists wishing to include introductory drone operations into their work. In this study, we develop a comprehensive drone training program for research partners and community members to use cost-effective, consumer-quality drones to engage in introductory drone mapping of coastal seagrass monitoring sites along the west coast of North America. As a first step toward a longer-term Public Participation GIS process in the study area, the training program includes lessons for beginner drone users related to flying drones, autonomous route planning and mapping, field safety, GIS analysis, image correction and processing, and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification and regulations. Training our research partners and students, who are in most cases novice users, is the first step in a larger process to increase participation in a broader project for seagrass monitoring in our case study. While our training program originated in the United States, we discuss our experiences for research partners and communities around the globe to become more confident in introductory drone operations for basic science. In particular, our work targets novice users without a strong background in geographic research or remote sensing. Such training provides technical guidance on the implementation of a drone mapping program for coastal research, and synthesizes our approaches to provide broad guidance for using drones in support of a developing Public Participation GIS process.
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10
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Menning DM, Ward DH, Wyllie‐Echeverria S, Sage GK, Gravley MC, Gravley HA, Talbot SL. Are migratory waterfowl vectors of seagrass pathogens? Ecol Evol 2020; 10:2062-2073. [PMID: 32128138 PMCID: PMC7042754 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Revised: 12/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Migratory waterfowl vector plant seeds and other tissues, but little attention has focused on the potential of avian vectoring of plant pathogens. Extensive meadows of eelgrass (Zostera marina) in southwest Alaska support hundreds of thousands of waterfowl during fall migration and may be susceptible to plant pathogens. We recovered DNA of organisms pathogenic to eelgrass from environmental samples and in the cloacal contents of eight of nine waterfowl species that annually migrate along the Pacific coast of North America and Asia. Coupled with a signal of asymmetrical gene flow of eelgrass running counter to that expected from oceanic and coastal currents between Large Marine Ecosystems, this evidence suggests waterfowl are vectors of eelgrass pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sandy Wyllie‐Echeverria
- Friday Harbor LaboratoriesCollege of the EnvironmentUniversity of WashingtonFriday HarborWAUSA
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11
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Yoshioka RM, Schram JB, Galloway AWE. Eelgrass pathogen Labyrinthula zosterae synthesizes essential fatty acids. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2019; 135:89-95. [PMID: 31342910 DOI: 10.3354/dao03382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Negative consequences of parasites and disease on hosts are usually better understood than their multifaceted ecosystem effects. The pathogen Labyrinthula zosterae (Lz) causes eelgrass wasting disease but has relatives that produce large quantities of nutritionally valuable long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Here we quantify the fatty acids (FA) of Lz cultured on artificial media, eelgrass-based media, and eelgrass segments to investigate whether Lz may similarly produce LCPUFA. We also assess whether field-collected lesions show similar FA patterns to laboratory-inoculated eelgrass. We find that Lz produces DHA as its dominant FA along with other essential FA on both artificial and eelgrass-based media. DHA content was greater in both laboratory-inoculated and field-collected diseased eelgrass relative to their respective controls. If Lz's production scales in situ, it may present an unrecognized source of LCPUFA in eelgrass ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- R M Yoshioka
- Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, University of Oregon, Charleston, Oregon 97420, USA
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12
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Elliott JK, Simpson H, Teesdale A, Replogle A, Elliott M, Coats K, Chastagner G. A Novel Phagomyxid Parasite Produces Sporangia in Root Hair Galls of Eelgrass (Zostera marina). Protist 2018; 170:64-81. [PMID: 30710862 DOI: 10.1016/j.protis.2018.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Revised: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 12/02/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to identify the parasite causing the formation of root hair galls on eelgrass (Zostera marina) in Puget Sound, WA. Microscopic and molecular analyses revealed that a novel protist formed plasmodia that developed into sporangia in root hair tip galls and released biflagellate swimming zoospores. Root hair galls were also observed in the basal section of root hairs, and contained plasmodia or formed thick-walled structures filled with cells (resting spores). Phylogenetic analyses of 18S rDNA sequence data obtained from cells in sporangia indicated that the closest relative of the parasite with a known taxonomic identification was Plasmodiophora diplantherae (86.9% sequence similarity), a phagomyxid parasite that infects the seagrass Halodule spp. To determine the local geographic distribution of the parasite, root and soil samples were taken from four eelgrass populations in Puget Sound and analyzed for root hair galls and parasite DNA using a newly designed qPCR protocol. The percent of root hairs with galls and amount of parasite DNA in roots and sediment varied among the four eelgrass populations. Future studies are needed to establish the taxonomy of the parasite, its effects on Z. marina, and the factors that determine its distribution and abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel K Elliott
- Department of Biology, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA 98406, USA.
| | - Hunter Simpson
- Department of Biology, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA 98406, USA
| | - Alex Teesdale
- Department of Biology, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA 98406, USA
| | - Amy Replogle
- Department of Biology, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA 98406, USA
| | - Marianne Elliott
- Department of Plant Pathology, Washington State University Research & Extension Center, Puyallup, WA 98371, USA
| | - Kathryn Coats
- Department of Plant Pathology, Washington State University Research & Extension Center, Puyallup, WA 98371, USA
| | - Gary Chastagner
- Department of Plant Pathology, Washington State University Research & Extension Center, Puyallup, WA 98371, USA
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13
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Hughes RG, Potouroglou M, Ziauddin Z, Nicholls JC. Seagrass wasting disease: Nitrate enrichment and exposure to a herbicide (Diuron) increases susceptibility of Zostera marina to infection. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2018; 134:94-98. [PMID: 28844456 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.08.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2017] [Revised: 08/11/2017] [Accepted: 08/14/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Seagrass meadows suffered large-scale declines in the past century. The 'wasting disease', pathognomonically associated with Labyrinthula zosterae, reduced populations of Zostera marina on both sides of the North Atlantic in, and since, the 1930s, coinciding with intensive agricultural use of artificial fertilizers and herbicides. This study tests the long-standing hypothesis that nutrient enrichment and a herbicide increases vulnerability to pathogens. Z. marina shoots from the Thames Estuary grown in elevated nitrate concentrations had significantly higher rates of infection by L. zosterae than controls, but not by Aplanochytrium sp., another slime-mould like protist. Z. marina shoots grown in 2μg·l-1 Diuron solutions and infected separately by L. zosterae and Aplanochytrium sp. had significantly higher wasting indices than controls. The results identified Aplanochytrium sp. as another opportunistic pathogen causing a seagrass wasting-type disease and support the hypothesis that pollution by herbicides and nitrate increases the susceptibility of Z. marina to infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- R G Hughes
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK.
| | - M Potouroglou
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Z Ziauddin
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - J C Nicholls
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
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14
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Sullivan BK, Trevathan-Tackett SM, Neuhauser S, Govers LL. Review: Host-pathogen dynamics of seagrass diseases under future global change. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2018; 134:75-88. [PMID: 28965923 PMCID: PMC6445351 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.09.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2017] [Revised: 09/11/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Human-induced global change is expected to amplify the disease risk for marine biota. However, the role of disease in the rapid global decline of seagrass is largely unknown. Global change may enhance seagrass susceptibility to disease through enhanced physiological stress, while simultaneously promoting pathogen development. This review outlines the characteristics of disease-forming organisms and potential impacts of global change on three groups of known seagrass pathogens: labyrinthulids, oomycetes and Phytomyxea. We propose that hypersalinity, climate warming and eutrophication pose the greatest risk for increasing frequency of disease outbreaks in seagrasses by increasing seagrass stress and lowering seagrass resilience. In some instances, global change may also promote pathogen development. However, there is currently a paucity of information on these seagrass pathosystems. We emphasise the need to expand current research to better understand the seagrass-pathogen relationships, serving to inform predicative modelling and management of seagrass disease under future global change scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke K Sullivan
- School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville Campus, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia; Victorian Marine Science Consortium, 2A Bellarine Highway, Queenscliff, Victoria 3225, Australia.
| | - Stacey M Trevathan-Tackett
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Sigrid Neuhauser
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 2, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
| | - Laura L Govers
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Post Office Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands; Department of Aquatic Ecology and Environmental Biology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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15
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Groner ML, Burge CA, Cox R, Rivlin ND, Turner M, Van Alstyne KL, Wyllie-Echeverria S, Bucci J, Staudigel P, Friedman CS. Oysters and eelgrass: potential partners in a high pCO 2 ocean. Ecology 2018; 99:1802-1814. [PMID: 29800484 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Revised: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 05/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Climate change is affecting the health and physiology of marine organisms and altering species interactions. Ocean acidification (OA) threatens calcifying organisms such as the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas. In contrast, seagrasses, such as the eelgrass Zostera marina, can benefit from the increase in available carbon for photosynthesis found at a lower seawater pH. Seagrasses can remove dissolved inorganic carbon from OA environments, creating local daytime pH refugia. Pacific oysters may improve the health of eelgrass by filtering out pathogens such as Labyrinthula zosterae (LZ), which causes eelgrass wasting disease (EWD). We examined how co-culture of eelgrass ramets and juvenile oysters affected the health and growth of eelgrass and the mass of oysters under different pCO2 exposures. In Phase I, each species was cultured alone or in co-culture at 12°C across ambient, medium, and high pCO2 conditions, (656, 1,158 and 1,606 μatm pCO2 , respectively). Under high pCO2 , eelgrass grew faster and had less severe EWD (contracted in the field prior to the experiment). Co-culture with oysters also reduced the severity of EWD. While the presence of eelgrass decreased daytime pCO2 , this reduction was not substantial enough to ameliorate the negative impact of high pCO2 on oyster mass. In Phase II, eelgrass alone or oysters and eelgrass in co-culture were held at 15°C under ambient and high pCO2 conditions, (488 and 2,013 μatm pCO2 , respectively). Half of the replicates were challenged with cultured LZ. Concentrations of defensive compounds in eelgrass (total phenolics and tannins), were altered by LZ exposure and pCO2 treatments. Greater pathogen loads and increased EWD severity were detected in LZ exposed eelgrass ramets; EWD severity was reduced at high relative to low pCO2 . Oyster presence did not influence pathogen load or EWD severity; high LZ concentrations in experimental treatments may have masked the effect of this treatment. Collectively, these results indicate that, when exposed to natural concentrations of LZ under high pCO2 conditions, eelgrass can benefit from co-culture with oysters. Further experimentation is necessary to quantify how oysters may benefit from co-culture with eelgrass, examine these interactions in the field and quantify context-dependency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya L Groner
- Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, 550 University Ave., Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, C1A 4P3, Canada
| | - Colleen A Burge
- Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 701 E Pratt St., Baltimore, Maryland, 21202, USA
| | - Ruth Cox
- Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, 550 University Ave., Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, C1A 4P3, Canada
| | - Natalie D Rivlin
- Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 701 E Pratt St., Baltimore, Maryland, 21202, USA
| | - Mo Turner
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, 24 Kincaid Hall, Seattle, Washington, 98105, USA
| | - Kathryn L Van Alstyne
- Shannon Point Marine Center, Western Washington University, 1900 Shannon Point Rd., Anacortes, Washington, 98221, USA
| | - Sandy Wyllie-Echeverria
- Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, 620 University Rd., Friday Harbor, Washington, 98250, USA.,Center for Marine and Environmental Studies, University of the Virgin Islands, 2 John Brewers Bay, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, 00802, USA
| | - John Bucci
- School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering, University of New Hampshire, 8 College Rd., Durham, New Hampshire, 03824, USA
| | - Philip Staudigel
- Rosenstiel School for Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, Florida, 33149, USA
| | - Carolyn S Friedman
- Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, 620 University Rd., Friday Harbor, Washington, 98250, USA.,School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, 1122 NE Boat St., Seattle, Washington, 98105, USA
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16
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Schwelm A, Badstöber J, Bulman S, Desoignies N, Etemadi M, Falloon RE, Gachon CMM, Legreve A, Lukeš J, Merz U, Nenarokova A, Strittmatter M, Sullivan BK, Neuhauser S. Not in your usual Top 10: protists that infect plants and algae. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2018; 19:1029-1044. [PMID: 29024322 PMCID: PMC5772912 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.12580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2017] [Revised: 07/06/2017] [Accepted: 07/07/2017] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Fungi, nematodes and oomycetes belong to the most prominent eukaryotic plant pathogenic organisms. Unicellular organisms from other eukaryotic lineages, commonly addressed as protists, also infect plants. This review provides an introduction to plant pathogenic protists, including algae infecting oomycetes, and their current state of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arne Schwelm
- Department of Plant Biology, Uppsala BioCentre, Linnean Centre for Plant BiologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUppsala SE‐75007Sweden
- Institute of Microbiology, University of InnsbruckInnsbruck 6020Austria
| | - Julia Badstöber
- Institute of Microbiology, University of InnsbruckInnsbruck 6020Austria
| | - Simon Bulman
- New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research LtdLincoln 7608New Zealand
| | - Nicolas Desoignies
- Applied Plant Ecophysiology, Haute Ecole Provinciale de Hainaut‐CondorcetAth 7800Belgium
| | - Mohammad Etemadi
- Institute of Microbiology, University of InnsbruckInnsbruck 6020Austria
| | - Richard E. Falloon
- New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research LtdLincoln 7608New Zealand
| | - Claire M. M. Gachon
- The Scottish Association for Marine ScienceScottish Marine InstituteOban PA37 1QAUK
| | - Anne Legreve
- Université catholique de Louvain, Earth and Life InstituteLouvain‐la‐Neuve 1348Belgium
| | - Julius Lukeš
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre37005 České Budějovice (Budweis)Czech Republic
- Faculty of SciencesUniversity of South Bohemia37005 České Budějovice (Budweis)Czech Republic
- Integrated Microbial Biodiversity, Canadian Institute for Advanced ResearchTorontoOntario M5G 1Z8Canada
| | - Ueli Merz
- Plant PathologyInstitute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich 8092Switzerland
| | - Anna Nenarokova
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre37005 České Budějovice (Budweis)Czech Republic
- Faculty of SciencesUniversity of South Bohemia37005 České Budějovice (Budweis)Czech Republic
| | - Martina Strittmatter
- The Scottish Association for Marine ScienceScottish Marine InstituteOban PA37 1QAUK
- Present address:
Station Biologique de Roscoff, CNRS – UPMC, UMR7144 Adaptation and Diversity in the Marine Environment, Place Georges Teissier, CS 90074, 29688 Roscoff CedexFrance
| | - Brooke K. Sullivan
- School of BiosciencesUniversity of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic. 3010Australia
- School of BiosciencesVictorian Marine Science ConsortiumQueenscliffVic. 3225Australia
| | - Sigrid Neuhauser
- Institute of Microbiology, University of InnsbruckInnsbruck 6020Austria
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