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Roach TNF, Matsuda SB, Martin C, Huckeba G, Huckeba J, Kahkejian V, Santoro EP, van der Geer A, Drury C, Quinn RA. Single-polyp metabolomics reveals biochemical structuring of the coral holobiont at multiple scales. Commun Biol 2023; 6:984. [PMID: 37752236 PMCID: PMC10522574 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05342-8] [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: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
All biology happens in space, and spatial structuring plays an important role in mediating biological processes at all scales from cells to ecosystems. However, the metabolomic structuring of the coral holobiont has yet to be fully explored. Here, we present a method to detect high-quality metabolomic data from individual coral polyps and apply this method to study the patterning of biochemicals across multiple spatial (~1 mm - ~100 m) and organizational scales (polyp to population). The data show a strong signature for individual coral colonies, a weaker signature of branches within colonies, and variation at the polyp level related to the polyps' location along a branch. Mapping metabolites to either the coral or algal components of the holobiont reveals that polyp-level variation along the length of a branch was largely driven by molecules associated with the cnidarian host as opposed to the algal symbiont, predominantly putative sulfur-containing metabolites. This work yields insights on the spatial structuring of biochemicals in the coral holobiont, which is critical for design, analysis, and interpretation of studies on coral reef biochemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ty N F Roach
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, HI, USA.
| | - Shayle B Matsuda
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, HI, USA
- Daniel P. Haerther Center for Conservation and Research, John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Christian Martin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Gintare Huckeba
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joel Huckeba
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, HI, USA
| | - Valerie Kahkejian
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, HI, USA
| | - Erika P Santoro
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Crawford Drury
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, HI, USA
| | - Robert A Quinn
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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Lee KT, Lee HM, Subramaniam T, Yang HS, Park SR, Kang CK, Keshavmurthy S, Choi KS. Dominance of the scleractinian coral Alveopora japonica in the barren subtidal hard bottom of high-latitude Jeju Island off the south coast of Korea assessed by high-resolution underwater images. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0275244. [PMCID: PMC9635743 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Coastal benthic communities in temperate regions have been influenced by climate change, including increasing sea-surface temperature. Nevertheless, scleractinian coral Alveopora japonica Eguchi, 1968, is thriving in shallow subtidal hard bottoms around Jeju Island, off the southern coast of Korea. The presence of this corals has negatively impacted subtidal kelp populations in Jeju Island. However, there is no study to document how the presence or absence of this coral relates to other benthic communities. This study investigated the benthos in three shallow subtidal sites (Shinheung (SH), Bukchon (BC), and Seongsan (SS)) in northern Jeju using underwater photography. Macro-benthic organisms appearing on a 1 × 20 m line transect installed at depths of 5, 10, and 15 m at each site were analyzed. Results showed that of the three sites investigated, A. japonica colonies were most abundant at BC, accounting for 45.9% and 72.8% of the total transect area at 10 m and 15 m, respectively. At SS, A. japonica occupied 15.3% of the total area at 15 m and less than 1% at 5 m and 10 m. The same at SH accounted for 10% of the total area at 5 m, and less than 1% at 10 m and 15 m. Dead and bleached colonies accounted for 1.2–11.5% and 1.8–5.7%, respectively, at 5, 10, and 15 m at three sites. At SS, canopy-forming brown algae Ecklonia cava and Sargassum spp. accounted for 20.2 and 24.3% of the total transect area, respectively, at 5 m depth. In contrast, the percent cover of E. cava and Sargassum spp. at SH and BC ranged from 0.1 to 1.8%, respectively. Moreover, non-geniculate coralline algae dominated the subtidal substrate at SH, ranging between 60.2 and 69% at 15 and 10 m. The low cover of A. japonica in SS (at 5 m) coincided with a high percent cover of canopy-forming brown algae. However, canopy-forming brown algae were rare at all depths at SH and BC and were dominated instead by coralline algae and the scleractinian corals. This study, by utilizing a non-destructive method, provides a baseline qualitative and quantitative information for understanding the site and depth-dependent distribution of A. japonica and algal populations, which is important to understand climate change related changes in benthic communities in Jeju and elsewhere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyeong-Tae Lee
- Department of Marine Life Science (BC 21 PLUS) and Marine Science Institute, Jeju National University, Jeju, Republic of Korea
- Jeju Marine Research Center, Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology (KIOST), Jeju, Korea
| | - Hye-Mi Lee
- Department of Marine Life Science (BC 21 PLUS) and Marine Science Institute, Jeju National University, Jeju, Republic of Korea
| | - Thatchaneshkanth Subramaniam
- Department of Marine Life Science (BC 21 PLUS) and Marine Science Institute, Jeju National University, Jeju, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Sung Yang
- Jeju Marine Research Center, Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology (KIOST), Jeju, Korea
| | - Sang Rul Park
- Department of Marine Life Science (BC 21 PLUS) and Marine Science Institute, Jeju National University, Jeju, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang-Keun Kang
- School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Shashank Keshavmurthy
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Academia Sinica, Nangang, Taipei, Taiwan
- * E-mail: (KSC); (SK)
| | - Kwang-Sik Choi
- Department of Marine Life Science (BC 21 PLUS) and Marine Science Institute, Jeju National University, Jeju, Republic of Korea
- * E-mail: (KSC); (SK)
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