Special issue Oceans and Humans Health: the ecology of marine opportunists

A comparative analysis of the microbial community structure and functional gene profile between healthy and diseased Gracilaria lemaneiformis

Marine macroalgae and their associated microbial communities are pivotal in shaping coastal ecosystems and facilitating biogenic elements' biochemical cycles. In this study, we implemented the high-throughput sequencing technology to sequence bacterial 16S rRNA gene to comprehensively analyze the bacterial communities of healthy and diseased macroalgae as well as the surrounding seawaters. The results revealed that Proteobacteria and Bacteroidota were the two main phylum in all samples. Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria and Bacteroidota were the predominant bacterial classes. This observation underscored that the composition of bacterial communities remains comparably consistent at higher taxonomic levels, regardless of variations in their health statuses. The alpha-diversity indices of seawater bacterial communities, epiphytic communities, and endophytic communities showed no significant differences. Epiphytic bacterial communities harbored a greater proportion of colonized bacteria, such as Vibrio and Pseudomonas. While endophytic bacterial communities contained a higher presence of tissue-degrading microbial assemblages, the primary bacterial communities were predominantly affiliated with Rhodobacteraceae and Flavobacteriaceae. Temperature, salinity, nitrate and nitrite concentration were the most significant properties correlated with seawater, epiphytic and endophytic bacterial communities in different health statuses revealed by Canonical correspondence analysis. A PICRUSt analysis demonstrated the metabolic functional prediction. Nitrogen and sulfate reduction genes were mainly concentrated in epiphytic bacterial communities in good health. Endophytic bacterial communities in disease had higher carbon and nitrogen fixation potentials. These results confirmed that bacteria, macroalgae, and environmental properties had an interactive relationship, all related to the momentous ecological benefits of macroalgae.

Survival of the fittest: genomic investigations of the bay scallop reveal a shift in population structure through a summer mortality event

BACKGROUND

Understanding the genetic basis of resilience in marine organisms is critical for conservation and management, particularly in the face of escalating environmental stress and disease outbreaks. The bay scallop Argopecten irradians is a commercially and recreationally important shellfish species found in estuarine and coastal environments of the United States from New England to the Gulf of Mexico. In New York, adult bay scallop populations have been decimated every summer since 2019 leading to the collapse of their fishery. These mortality events were associated with annual outbreaks of an undescribed apicomplexan parasite recently named Bay Scallop Marosporida (BSM) that disrupts scallop kidneys.

RESULTS

This study investigates host-pathogen interactions and assesses changes in population structure during BSM-associated mortality events. The research compared wild and aquacultured scallops used for stock enhancement in New York, revealing significant change in population structures throughout the mortality outbreak. The results underscore the selective pressures exerted by BSM infection and environmental stressors, as evidenced by shifts in genetic divergence and allele frequencies particularly in genes associated with kidney function, stress and infection response. Through a detailed genomic and population genetic approach, this research represents a unique case study highlighting the impact of disease on marine biodiversity and advances our understanding of the impact of summer mortality events on the scallop population in NY.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights changes in the genomic structure of bay scallops during a BSM-associated mortality event. Identified mutations (such as the one in the nephrocystin-3-like gene) represent prime candidates for specific targeted investigations to link genotypes to phenotypes. By integrating genomic and epidemiological data, the research provides a basis for understanding the impact of disease on scallop biodiversity. These findings may help guide conservation strategies for sustainable fisheries in the face of environmental change and disease outbreaks.

Pathogenicity and phylogeny of Labyrinthula spp. isolated in Washington and Oregon, USA

The class Labyrinthulomycetes constitutes a multitude of species found ubiquitously in the environment, and includes pathogens of corals, hard clams, turfgrasses, and seagrasses. Labyrinthula zosterae, the causative agent of seagrass wasting disease, has been associated with declines in seagrass coverage since the 1930s. However, pathogenic and nonpathogenic Labyrinthula spp. have been isolated from seagrass tissue. These isolates are difficult to distinguish morphologically, and the diversity of isolates where seagrass wasting disease is present is often unknown. This study aimed to increase knowledge on the pathogenicity and phylogeny of Labyrinthula spp. in Washington and Oregon, USA where a high prevalence of seagrass wasting disease has been associated with eelgrass, Zostera marina, declines. We tested the pathogenicity of 14 Labyrinthula isolates and compared partial 18S rRNA gene sequences of 12 isolates to sequences from around the world through the NCBI database. We found that pathogenic isolates could be identified as Labyrinthula zosterae, while nonpathogenic isolates did not form a clade with any previously identified SSU ribotypes. These results add to the growing data on Labyrinthula and seagrass wasting disease and can improve our understanding of pathogen evolution and spread in the future.

Potential distribution modelling for Haemonchus contortus (Nematoda: Trichostrongylidae) in South America

The species Haemonchus contortus occurs in many regions worldwide, mainly parasitising small ruminants and economically impacting animal production. Climate change is considered a driving force for the risk of diseases caused by helminths and can also affect relationships between parasites and their hosts, with the potential to cause losses in both animal production and biodiversity in general. The aim of this study was to model the potential distribution of H. contortus in South America. We used MaxEnt to perform the analyses and describe the contribution of important bioclimatic variables involved in the species distribution. Our results show that H. contortus colonised most of the areas with habitats that suit the species' environmental requirements and that this parasite presents habitat suitability in a future scenario. Understanding the effects of climate change on the occurrence and distribution of parasite species is essential for monitoring these pathogens, in addition to predicting the areas that tend to present future parasite outbreaks and identify opportunities to mitigate the impacts of the emergence of diseases caused by these organisms.

Manipulation of the seagrass-associated microbiome reduces disease severity

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.

A Microcosm Experiment Reveals the Temperature-Sensitive Release of Mucochytrium quahogii (=QPX) from Hard Clams and Pallial Fluid as a Stable QPX Reservoir

Mucochytrium quahogii, also known as QPX or Quahog Parasite Unknown, is the causative agent of QPX disease in the hard clam (Mercenaria mercenaria). Host-pathogen-environment interactions between M. quahogii, the hard clam, and temperature were explored in a microcosm experiment. Hard clams were housed in individual tanks with sterile seawater under two temperature regimes: low (13 °C) temperature, which is thought to be optimal for QPX disease development, and high (20 °C) temperature, which has been shown to promote "healing" of QPX-infected clams. Hard clam tissue, pallial fluid, seawater, and shell biofilms were collected and assayed for M. quahogii. The release of M. quahogii from naturally infected live hard clams into seawater was detected only in the low temperature treatment, suggesting that temperature influences the release of potentially infectious cells. M. quahogii was commonly found in hard clam pallial fluid, even after 9 weeks in the lab, suggesting pallial fluid is a stable reservoir of M. quahogii within its primary host and that M. quahogii is not a transient component of the hard clam microbiota. Overall, results support a host-specific relationship and that M. quahogii is a commensal member of the hard clam microbiota, supporting its classification as an opportunistic pathogen.

Biogeographic patterns of micro-eukaryotic generalists and specialists and their effects on regional α-diversity at inter-oceanic scale

Inter-oceanic scale studies allow us to understand the global spread of micro-organisms in marine ecosystems. In this study, micro-eukaryotic communities in marine surface sediment were collected from tropical to Arctic sites. We found that micro-eukaryotic generalists had much higher intraspecific variation than specialists which allow them to distribute more widely through higher spatiotemporal asynchrony and complementary niche preferences among conspecific taxa. Moreover, comparing to the host-associated protozoa and small metazoa, the algae and free-living protozoa with higher intraspecific variation allow them to have wider distribution ranges. Species abundance also played an important role in driving the distribution ranges of generalists and specialists. The generalists had important effects on regional α-diversity even at an inter-oceanic scale which led to the micro-eukaryotic species richness in polar sites to be mainly influenced by the regional generalists but not the local specialists. In particular, more than 97% of algal species in polar sites were shared with the tropical and subtropical sites (including toxic dinoflagellate). Overall, our study suggests that the effects of global change and human activities on the vulnerable high latitude habitats may lead to biotic homogenization for the whole microbial community (not only the dispersal of some harmful algae) through the potential long-distance spread of generalists.

Marine diseases and the Anthropocene: Understanding microbial pathogenesis in a rapidly changing world

Healthy marine ecosystems are paramount for Earth's biodiversity and are key to sustaining the global economy and human health. The effects of anthropogenic activity represent a pervasive threat to the productivity of marine ecosystems, with intensifying environmental stressors such as climate change and pollution driving the occurrence and severity of microbial diseases that can devastate marine ecosystems and jeopardise food security. Despite the potentially catastrophic outcomes of marine diseases, our understanding of host-pathogen interactions remains an understudied aspect of both microbiology and environmental research, especially when compared to the depth of information available for human and agricultural systems. Here, we identify three avenues of research in which we can advance our understanding of marine disease in the context of global change, and make positive steps towards safeguarding marine communities for future generations.

Microbial Interactions between Marine Microalgae and Fungi: From Chemical Ecology to Biotechnological Possible Applications

Chemical interactions have been shown to regulate several marine life processes, including selection of food sources, defense, behavior, predation, and mate recognition. These chemical communication signals have effects not only at the individual scale, but also at population and community levels. This review focuses on chemical interactions between marine fungi and microalgae, summarizing studies on compounds synthetized when they are cultured together. In the current study, we also highlight possible biotechnological outcomes of the synthetized metabolites, mainly for human health applications. In addition, we discuss applications for bio-flocculation and bioremediation. Finally, we point out the necessity of further investigating microalgae-fungi chemical interactions because it is a field still less explored compared to microalga-bacteria communication and, considering the promising results obtained until now, it is worthy of further research for scientific advancement in both ecology and biotechnology fields.

Deeper habitats and cooler temperatures moderate a climate-driven seagrass disease

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'.

The effect of warming on seagrass wasting disease depends on host genotypic identity and diversity

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.

Mucochytrium quahogii (=QPX) Is a Commensal, Opportunistic Pathogen of the Hard Clam (Mercenaria mercenaria): Evidence and Implications for QPX Disease Management

Mucochytrium quahogii, commonly known as QPX (Quahog Parasite Unknown), is the causative agent of QPX disease in hard clams (Mercenaria mercenaria), but poor understanding of the relationship between host and pathogen has hindered effective management. To address this gap in knowledge, we conducted a two-year study quantifying the distribution and abundance of M. quahogii in hard clam tissue, pallial fluid, and the environment. M. quahogii was broadly distributed in clams and the environment, in areas with and without a known history of QPX disease. M. quahogii in clams was not strongly related to M. quahogii in the environment. M. quahogii was always present in either the tissue or pallial fluid of each clam, with an inverse relationship between the abundance in the two anatomical locations. This study suggests that the sediment-water interface and clam pallial fluid are environmental reservoirs of M. quahogii and that there is a host-specific relationship between M. quahogii and the hard clam, supporting its classification as a commensal, opportunistic pathogen. There appears to be minimal risk of spreading QPX disease to naïve clam populations because M. quahogii is already present and does not appear to be causing disease in hard clam populations in locations unfavorable for pathogenesis.

Predictable Changes in Eelgrass Microbiomes with Increasing Wasting Disease Prevalence across 23° Latitude in the Northeastern Pacific

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.

Identification of antibacterial metabolites produced by a marine bacterium Halobacillus marinus HMALI004

AIMS

This study examined and characterized the extract for metabolites of Halobacillus marinus HMALI004 to understand their antibacterial activities against opportunistic marine pathogens, i.e., Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio cholerae.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The bacterial strain HMALI004 was characterized as Halobacillus marinus, and an antibacterial spectral test revealed its inhibition against two opportunistic marine pathogens (V. parahaemolyticus and V. cholera). Fermentation broth of strain HMALI004 was subjected to column chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to separate antibacterial substances. Two compounds were successfully isolated and identified as 1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid and 4-chloro-1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid by mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The minimal inhibition concentration (MIC) values of 1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid and 4-chloro-1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid for V. parahaemolyticus were 25 μg/mL, while their MIC values for V. cholerae were 50 and 100 μg/mL, respectively. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) production of two pathogen strains treated with 1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid and 4-chloro-1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid were detected to investigate the antimicrobial mechanism. The results suggested that 4-chloro-1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid exerted enhanced ROS production in V. parahaemolyticus, whereas 1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid had a weaker effect. Both compounds caused a significant rise in ROS production in V. cholerae, causing severe damage to the cell wall and cytoplasm, leading to cell death.

CONCLUSIONS

The bacterium H. marinus HMALI004 was isolated from a shrimp pond and was found to produce antimicrobial compounds which could inhibit the growth of opportunistic marine pathogens V. parahaemolyticus and V. cholerae by increasing ROS.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Successfully isolated antibacterial-producing strain, H. marinus HMALI004, and its antimicrobial compounds could be used as biological control agents for marine pathogens.

Species- and site-specific circulating bacterial DNA in Subantarctic sentinel mussels Aulacomya atra and Mytilus platensis

Impacts of climate changes are particularly severe in polar regions where warmer temperatures and reductions in sea-ice covers threaten the ecological integrity of marine coastal ecosystems. Because of their wide distribution and their ecological importance, mussels are currently used as sentinel organisms in monitoring programs of coastal ecosystems around the world. In the present study, we exploited the concept of liquid biopsy combined to a logistically friendly sampling method to study the hemolymphatic bacterial microbiome in two mussel species (Aulacomya atra and Mytilus platensis) in Kerguelen Islands, a remote Subantarctic volcanic archipelago. We found that the circulating microbiome signatures of both species differ significantly even though their share the same mussel beds. We also found that the microbiome differs significantly between sampling sites, often correlating with the particularity of the ecosystem. Predictive models also revealed that both species have distinct functional microbiota, and that the circulating microbiome of Aulacomya atra was more sensitive to changes induced by acute thermal stress when compared to Mytilus platensis. Taken together, our study suggests that defining circulating microbiome is a useful tool to assess the health status of marine ecosystems and to better understand the interactions between the sentinel species and their habitat.

Keeping up with advances in qPCR pathogen detection: an example for QPX disease in hard clams

With marine diseases on the rise and increased reliance on molecular tools for disease surveillance, validated pathogen detection capabilities are important for effective management, mitigation, and response to disease outbreaks. At the same time, in an era of continual evolution and advancement of molecular tools for pathogen detection, it is critical to regularly reassess previously established assays to incorporate improvements of common practices and procedures, such as the minimum information for publication of quantitative real-time PCR experiments (MIQE) guidelines. Here, we reassessed, re-optimized, and improved the quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay routinely used for Quahog Parasite Unknown (QPX) disease monitoring. We made 19 significant changes to the qPCR assay, including improvements to PCR amplification efficiency, DNA extraction efficiency, inhibition testing, incorporation of linearized standards for absolute quantification, an inter-plate calibration technique, and improved conversion from copy number to number of cells. These changes made the assay a more effective and efficient tool for disease monitoring and pathogen detection, with an improved linear relationship with histopathology compared to the previous version of the assay. To support the wide adoption of validated qPCR assays for marine pathogens, we provide a simple workflow that can be applied to the development of new assays, re-optimization of old or suboptimal assays, or assay validation after changes to the protocol and a MIQE-compliant checklist that should accompany any published qPCR diagnostic assay to increase experimental transparency and reproducibility amongst laboratories.

Bacterial controlled mitigation of dysbiosis in a seaweed disease

Disease in the marine environment is predicted to increase with anthropogenic stressors and already affects major habitat-formers, such as corals and seaweeds. Solutions to address this issue are urgently needed. The seaweed Delisea pulchra is prone to a bleaching disease, which is caused by opportunistic pathogens and involves bacterial dysbiosis. Bacteria that can inhibit these pathogens and/or counteract dysbiosis are therefore hypothesised to reduce disease. This study aimed to identify such disease-protective bacteria and investigate their protective action. One strain, Phaeobacter sp. BS52, isolated from healthy D. pulchra, was antagonistic towards bleaching pathogens and significantly increased the proportion of healthy individuals when applied before the pathogen challenge (pathogen-only vs. BS52 + pathogen: 41-80%), and to a level similar to the control. However, no significant negative correlations between the relative abundances of pathogens and BS52 on D. pulchra were detected. Instead, inoculation of BS52 mitigated pathogen-induced changes in the epibacterial community. These observations suggest that the protective activity of BS52 was due to its ability to prevent dysbiosis, rather than direct pathogen inhibition. This study demonstrates the feasibility of manipulating bacterial communities in seaweeds to reduce disease and that mitigation of dysbiosis can have positive health outcomes.

The Future Is Big-and Small: Remote Sensing Enables Cross-Scale Comparisons of Microbiome Dynamics and Ecological Consequences

Coupling remote sensing with microbial omics-based approaches provides a promising new frontier for scientists to scale microbial interactions across space and time. These data-rich, interdisciplinary methods allow us to better understand interactions between microbial communities and their environments and, in turn, their impact on ecosystem structure and function. Here, we highlight current and novel examples of applying remote sensing, machine learning, spatial statistics, and omics data approaches to marine, aquatic, and terrestrial systems. We emphasize the importance of integrating biochemical and spatiotemporal environmental data to move toward a predictive framework of microbiome interactions and their ecosystem-level effects. Finally, we emphasize lessons learned from our collaborative research with recommendations to foster productive and interdisciplinary teamwork.

Microbial bioindicators of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease identified in corals and overlying waters using a rapid field-based sequencing approach

Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) is a devastating disease. Since 2014, it has spread along the entire Florida Reef Tract and into the greater Caribbean. It was first detected in the United States Virgin Islands in January 2019. To more quickly identify microbial bioindicators of disease, we developed a rapid pipeline for microbiome sequencing. Over a span of 10 days we collected, processed and sequenced coral and near-coral seawater microbiomes from diseased and apparently healthy Colpophyllia natans, Montastraea cavernosa, Meandrina meandrites and Orbicella franksi. Analysis of bacterial and archaeal 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequences revealed 25 bioindicator amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) enriched in diseased corals. These bioindicator ASVs were additionally recovered in near-coral seawater (<5 cm of coral surface), a potential reservoir for pathogens. Phylogenetic analysis of microbial bioindicators with sequences from the Coral Microbiome Database revealed that Vibrio, Arcobacter, Rhizobiaceae and Rhodobacteraceae sequences were related to disease-associated coral bacteria and lineages novel to corals. Additionally, four ASVs (Algicola, Cohaesibacter, Thalassobius and Vibrio) were matches to microbes previously associated with SCTLD that should be targets for future research. Overall, this work suggests that a rapid sequencing framework paired with specialized databases facilitates identification of microbial disease bioindicators.

Erection of a New Genus and Species for the Pathogen of Hard Clams 'Quahog Parasite Unknown' (QPX): Mucochytrium quahogii gen. nov., sp. nov

Quahog Parasite Unknown (QPX) is a facultative parasite of the hard clam, Mercenaria mercenaria. Although it has been observed in clams since the 1960's and cultivated since the 1990's, conflicting reports on important aspects of its biology have prevented its formal description. 18S rRNA gene sequences identify QPX as a thraustochytrid, but its production of copious mucus is atypical for this group. There are also conflicting reports about whether QPX shares common features of thraustochytrids, such as the production of an ectoplasmic net and biflagellate zoospores. This study reaffirms the previous descriptions of zoospore production by QPX in culture, in multiple strains from several geographic locations, and provides detail on how to maintain QPX cultures under conditions that promote the production of zoospores. Furthermore, we describe new aspects of the life cycle not previously observed. Finally, we erect Mucochytrium quahogii gen. nov., sp. nov. to accommodate this unusual thraustochytrid.

Enrichment of potential pathogens in marine microbiomes with different degrees of anthropogenic activity

Anthropogenic activities in coastal marine ecosystems can lead to an increase in the abundance of potentially harmful microorganisms in the marine environment. To understand anthropogenic impacts on the marine microbiome, we first used publicly available microbial phylogenetic and functional data to establish a dataset of bacterial genera potentially related to pathogens that cause diseases (BGPRD) in marine organisms. Representatives of low-, medium- and highly impacted marine coastal environments were selected, and the abundance and composition of their microbial communities were determined by quantitative PCR and 16 S rRNA gene sequencing. In total, 72 BGPRD were cataloged, and 11, 36 and 37 BGPRD were found in low-, medium- and highly human-impacted ecosystems, respectively. The absolute abundance of BGPRD and the co-occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes (AGR) increased with the degree of anthropogenic perturbation in these ecosystems. Anthropogenically impacted coastal microbiomes were compositionally and functionally distinct from those of less impacted sites, presenting features that may contribute to adverse outcomes for marine macrobiota in the Anthropocene era.

Invertebrate health in marine protected areas (MPAs)

Marine protected areas (MPAs) consist of various categories of safeguarded areas in the marine environment, from semi-protected areas to total no take zones. The reported effects of MPAs are overwhelmingly positive, with numerous reports of fish size (biomass), abundance (recovery) and diversity increases, however, literature is lacking on the role and consequences of MPAs on parasite and disease dynamics, and in particular, invertebrate health. The implementation of MPAs has been known to alter trophic cascades and community dynamics, and with invertebrates commonly at the base of these systems, it is vital that their status is investigated. Overcrowding in areas closed to fishing is known to have parasitological consequences in some scenarios, and land/water use change has been known to alter host and vector communities, possibly elevating disease risk. Equally, reserves can be used as tools for alleviating impacts of marine disease. This review aims to consolidate extant literature and provide a comprehensive viewpoint on how invertebrates (and their health status) can be affected by MPAs, which are increasingly being implemented based on the relative urgency now being placed on protecting global biodiversity. In highlighting the paucity of knowledge surrounding MPAs and disease, especially that of the unenigmatic invertebrate groups, this review, published in the Special Issue on 'Invertebrates as One Health Sentinels', provides an opportunity for wide dissemination and provocation of further research in this area.

Opportunistic bacteria use quorum sensing to disturb coral symbiotic communities and mediate the occurrence of coral bleaching

Coral associated microorganisms, especially some opportunistic pathogens can utilize quorum-sensing (QS) signals to affect population structure and host health. However, direct evidence about the link between coral bleaching and dysbiotic microbiomes under QS regulation was lacking. Here, using 11 opportunistic bacteria and their QS products (AHLs, acyl-homoserine-lactones), we exposed Pocillopora damicornis to three different treatments: test groups (A and B: mixture of AHLs-producing bacteria and cocktail of AHLs signals respectively); control groups (C and D: group A and B with furanone added respectively); and a blank control (group E: only seawater) for 21 days. The results showed that remarkable bleaching phenomenon was observed in groups A and B. The operational taxonomic units-sequencing analysis shown that the bacterial network interactions and communities composition were significantly changed, becoming especially enhanced in the relative abundances of Vibrio, Edwardsiella, Enterobacter, Pseudomonas, and Aeromonas. Interestingly, the control groups (C and D) were found to have a limited influence upon host microbial composition and reduced bleaching susceptibility of P. damicornis. These results indicate bleaching's initiation and progression may be caused by opportunistic bacteria of resident microbes in a process under regulation by AHLs. These findings add a new dimension to our understanding of the complexity of bleaching mechanisms from a chemoecological perspective.

An initial comparative genomic autopsy of wasting disease in sea stars

Beginning in 2013, sea stars throughout the Eastern North Pacific were decimated by wasting disease, also known as "asteroid idiopathic wasting syndrome" (AIWS) due to its elusive aetiology. The geographic extent and taxonomic scale of AIWS meant events leading up to the outbreak were heterogeneous, multifaceted, and oftentimes unobserved; progression from morbidity to death was rapid, leaving few tell-tale symptoms. Here, we take a forensic genomic approach to discover candidate genes that may help explain sea star wasting syndrome. We report the first genome and annotation for Pisaster ochraceus, along with differential gene expression (DGE) analyses in four size classes, three tissue types, and in symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. We integrate nucleotide polymorphisms associated with survivors of the wasting disease outbreak, DGE associated with temperature treatments in P. ochraceus, and DGE associated with wasting in another asteroid Pycnopodia helianthoides. In P. ochraceus, we found DGE across all tissues, among size classes, and between asymptomatic and symptomatic individuals; the strongest wasting-associated DGE signal was in pyloric caecum. We also found previously identified outlier loci co-occur with differentially expressed genes. In cross-species comparisons of symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals, consistent responses distinguish genes associated with invertebrate innate immunity and chemical defence, consistent with context-dependent stress responses, defensive apoptosis, and tissue degradation. Our analyses thus highlight genomic constituents that may link suspected environmental drivers (elevated temperature) with intrinsic differences among individuals (age/size, alleles associated with susceptibility) that elicit organismal responses (e.g., coelomocyte proliferation) and manifest as sea star wasting mass mortality.

Warming and pollutants interact to modulate octocoral immunity and shape disease outcomes

Warming environments can alter the outcome of host-parasite relationships with important consequences for biodiversity. Warming often increases disease risk, and interactions with other environmental factors can intensify impacts by modifying the underlying mechanisms, such as host immunity. In coastal ecosystems, metal pollution is a pervasive stressor that influences disease and immunity in many organisms. Despite the crisis facing coral reefs, which stems in part from warming-associated disease outbreaks, the impacts of metal pollutants on scleractinian and octocoral disease are largely unknown. We investigated how warming oceans and copper pollution affect host immunity and disease risk for two diseases of the abundant Caribbean octocoral, the sea fan Gorgonia ventalina. Field surveys across a sediment copper concentration gradient in Puerto Rico, USA revealed that cellular immunity of sea fans increased by 12.6% at higher sediment copper concentrations, while recovery from multifocal purple spots disease (MFPS) tended to decrease. MFPS severity in the field increased at warmer sites. In a controlled laboratory experiment, sea fans were inoculated with live cultures of a labyrinthulid parasite to test the interactive effects of temperature and copper on immune activation. As in the field, higher copper induced greater immunity, but the factorial design of the experiment revealed that copper and temperature interacted to modulate the immune response to the parasite: immune cell densities increased with elevated temperature at lower copper concentrations, but not with high copper concentrations. Tissue damage was also greater in treatments with higher copper and warmer temperatures. Field and lab evidence confirm that elevated copper hinders sea fan immune defenses against damaging parasites. Temperature and copper influenced host-pathogen interactions in octocorals by modulating immunity, disease severity, and disease recovery. This is the first evidence that metal pollution affects processes influencing disease in octocorals and highlights the importance of immune mechanisms in environmentally mediated disease outbreaks. Although coral conservation efforts must include a focus on global factors, such as rapid warming, reducing copper and other pollutants that compromise coral health on a local scale may help corals fight disease in a warming ocean.

Diversity and microhabitat associations of Labyrinthula spp. in the Indian River Lagoon System

Seagrasses create foundational habitats in coastal ecosystems. One contributing factor to their global decline is disease, primarily caused by parasites in the genus Labyrinthula. To explore the relationship between seagrass and Labyrinthula spp. diversity in coastal waters, we examined the diversity and microhabitat association of Labyrinthula spp. in 2 inlets on Florida's Atlantic Coast, the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) and Banana River. We used amplicon-based high throughput sequencing with 2 newly designed primers to amplify Labyrinthula spp. from 5 seagrass species, water, and sediments to determine their spatial distribution and microhabitat associations. The SSU primer set identified 12 Labyrinthula zero-radius operational taxonomic units (ZOTUs), corresponding to at least 8 putative species. The ITS1 primer set identified 2 ZOTUs, corresponding to at least 2 putative species. Based on our phylogenetic analyses, which include sequences from previous studies that assigned seagrass-related pathogenicity to Labyrinthula clades, all but one of the ZOTUs that we recovered with the SSU primers were from non-pathogenic species, while the 2 ZOTUs recovered with the ITS1 primers were from pathogenic species. Some of the ZOTUs were widespread across the sampling sites and microhabitats (e.g. SSU ZOTU_10), and most were present in more than one site. Our results demonstrate that targeted metabarcoding is a useful tool for examining the relationships between seagrass and Labyrinthula diversity in coastal waters.

Environment, dosage, and pathogen isolate moderate virulence in eelgrass wasting disease

Eelgrass wasting disease, caused by the marine pathogen Labyrinthula zosterae, has the potential to devastate important eelgrass habitats worldwide. Although this host-pathogen interaction may increase under certain environmental conditions, little is known about how disease severity is impacted by multiple components of a changing environment. In this study, we investigated the effects of variation in 3 different L. zosterae isolates, pathogen dosage, temperature, and light on severity of infections. Severity of lesions on eelgrass varied among the 3 different isolates inoculated in laboratory trials. Our methods to control dosage of inoculum showed that disease severity increased with pathogen dosage from 104 to 106 cells ml-1. In a dosage-controlled light and temperature 2-way factorial experiment consisting of 2 light regimes (diel light cycle and complete darkness) and 2 temperatures (11 and 18°C), L. zosterae cell growth rate in vitro was higher at the warmer temperature. In a companion experiment that tested the effects of light and temperature in in vivo inoculations, disease severity was higher in dark treatments and temperature was marginally significant. We suggest that the much greater impact of light in the in vivo inoculation experiment indicates an important role for plant physiology and the need for photosynthesis in slowing severity of infections. Our work with controlled inoculation of distinct L. zosterae isolates shows that pathogen isolate, increasing dosage of inoculum, increasing temperature, and diminishing light increase disease severity, suggesting L. zosterae will cause increased damage to eelgrass beds with changing environmental conditions.

Emergence of a multi host biofilm forming opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus sciuri D26 in coral Favites abdita

Corals are hotspots of ocean microbial diversity and imbalance in the composition of coral associated microbes has been mostly correlated with the emergence of climate change driven diseases which affect the overall stability of the reef ecosystem. Coral sampling was performed by SCUBA diving at Palk Bay (latitude 9.271580, longitude 79.132203) south Indian coast. Among the 54 bacterial isolates, an isolate MGL-D26 showed comparatively high biofilm formation and was identified as Staphylococcus sciuri based on phylogenetic analysis. The production of exopolysaccharide (EPS) confirmed the formation of a slimy EPS matrix associated with the biofilm. The biofilm formation in S. sciuri D26 was induced significantly by UV exposure followed by other stress factors including pollution, agitation, and salinity. The strain inhibited innate immune factors of corals such as melanin synthesis and phenoloxidase. Challenge experiments in a model organism Aiptasia sp. showed pathogenicity of S. sciuri. Histopathological analysis revealed tissue invasion by S. sciuri which was a predisposing factor leading to mortality in challenged Aiptasia sp. However, specific disease condition of corals infected by S. sciuri requires continuous field monitoring and further investigation. Based on the findings, S. sciuri was a first reported multi-host opportunistic pathogen which has emerged in corals under environmental stress.

Large-scale impacts of sea star wasting disease (SSWD) on intertidal sea stars and implications for recovery

Disease outbreaks can have substantial impacts on wild populations, but the often patchy or anecdotal evidence of these impacts impedes our ability to understand outbreak dynamics. Recently however, a severe disease outbreak occurred in a group of very well-studied organisms–sea stars along the west coast of North America. We analyzed nearly two decades of data from a coordinated monitoring effort at 88 sites ranging from southern British Columbia to San Diego, California along with 2 sites near Sitka, Alaska to better understand the effects of sea star wasting disease (SSWD) on the keystone intertidal predator, Pisaster ochraceus. Quantitative surveys revealed unprecedented declines of P. ochraceus in 2014 and 2015 across nearly the entire geographic range of the species. The intensity of the impact of SSWD was not uniform across the affected area, with proportionally greater population declines in the southern regions relative to the north. The degree of population decline was unrelated to pre-outbreak P. ochraceus density, although these factors have been linked in other well-documented disease events. While elevated seawater temperatures were not broadly linked to the initial emergence of SSWD, anomalously high seawater temperatures in 2014 and 2015 might have exacerbated the disease’s impact. Both before and after the onset of the SSWD outbreak, we documented higher recruitment of P. ochraceus in the north than in the south, and while some juveniles are surviving (as evidenced by transition of recruitment pulses to larger size classes), post-SSWD survivorship is lower than during pre-SSWD periods. In hindsight, our data suggest that the SSWD event defied prediction based on two factors found to be important in other marine disease events, sea water temperature and population density, and illustrate the importance of surveillance of natural populations as one element of an integrated approach to marine disease ecology. Low levels of SSWD-symptomatic sea stars are still present throughout the impacted range, thus the outlook for population recovery is uncertain.

Octocoral co-infection as a balance between host immunity and host environment

Co-infection is the reality in natural populations, but few studies incorporate the players that matter in the wild. We integrate the environment, host demography, two parasites, and host immunity in a study of co-infection to determine the drivers of parasite interactions. Here, we use an ecologically important Caribbean sea fan octocoral, Gorgonia ventalina, that is co-infected by a copepod and a labyrinthulid protist. We first expanded upon laboratory studies by showing that immune suppression is associated with the labyrinthulid in a natural setting. Histological analyses revealed that immune cells (amoebocytes) were significantly suppressed in both labyrinthulid infections and co-infections relative to healthy sea fans, but remained unchanged in copepod infections. However, surveys of natural coral populations demonstrated a critical role for the environment and host demography in this co-infection: the prevalence of copepod infections increased with sea fan size while labyrinthulid prevalence increased with water depth. Although we predicted that immune suppression by the labyrinthulid would facilitate copepod infection, the two parasites did not co-occur in the sea fans more often than expected by chance. These results suggest that the distinct ecological drivers for each parasite overwhelm the role of host immune suppression in determining the distribution of parasites among hosts. This interplay of the environment and parasite-mediated immune suppression in sea fan co-infection provides insights into the factors underlying co-occurrence patterns in wild co-infections. Moving forward, simultaneous consideration of co-occurring parasites, host traits, and the environmental context will improve the understanding of host - parasite interactions and their consequences.

Simulated climate change, epidemic size, and host evolution across host-parasite populations

Climate change is causing warmer and more variable temperatures as well as physical flux in natural populations, which will affect the ecology and evolution of infectious disease epidemics. Using replicate seminatural populations of a coevolving freshwater invertebrate-parasite system (host: Daphnia magna, parasite: Pasteuria ramosa), we quantified the effects of ambient temperature and population mixing (physical flux within populations) on epidemic size and population health. Each population was seeded with an identical suite of host genotypes and dose of parasite transmission spores. Biologically reasonable increases in environmental temperature caused larger epidemics, and population mixing reduced overall epidemic size. Mixing also had a detrimental effect on host populations independent of disease. Epidemics drove parasite-mediated selection, leading to a loss of host genetic diversity, and mixed populations experienced greater evolution due to genetic drift over the season. These findings further our understanding of how diversity loss will reduce the host populations' capacity to respond to changes in selection, therefore stymying adaptation to further environmental change.

Another possible risk for the Mediterranean Sea? Aspergillus sydowii discovered in the Port of Genoa (Ligurian Sea, Italy)

Aspergillus sydowii is a cosmopolitan fungus that has been responsible for the mass destruction of coral in the Caribbean Sea over the last 15years. To our knowledge, this study has found the first case of A. sydowii in the Mediterranean Sea, in marine-bottom sediments, water and calcareous shells of bivalve molluscs sampled during a campaign to characterise the mycobiota in the Port of Genoa (Italy). The area is characterised by adverse environmental conditions (high turbidity, organic pollution and high concentrations of phosphorus and nitrogen compounds). These parameters, in combination with a rising temperature, could contribute to A. sydowii bloom and dispersal. This fungal strain may have been imported into the Port of Genoa in the bilge water of vessels or by torrent input. This work represents the first step in the implementation of a monitoring programme to safeguard calcareous sponges and sea fan corals endemic in the Mediterranean Sea.

The roles of endolithic fungi in bioerosion and disease in marine ecosystems. II. Potential facultatively parasitic anamorphic ascomycetes can cause disease in corals and molluscs

Anamorphic ascomycetes have been implicated as causative agents of diseases in tissues and skeletons of hard corals, in tissues of soft corals (sea fans) and in tissues and shells of molluscs. Opportunist marine fungal pathogens, such as Aspergillus sydowii, are important components of marine mycoplankton and are ubiquitous in the open oceans, intertidal zones and marine sediments. These fungi can cause infection in or at least can be associated with animals which live in these ecosystems. A. sydowii can produce toxins which inhibit photosynthesis in and the growth of coral zooxanthellae. The prevalence of many documented infections has increased in frequency and severity in recent decades with the changing impacts of physical and chemical factors, such as temperature, acidity and eutrophication. Changes in these factors are thought to cause significant loss of biodiversity in marine ecosystems on a global scale in general, and especially in coral reefs and shallow bays.

The roles of endolithic fungi in bioerosion and disease in marine ecosystems. I. General concepts

Endolithic true fungi and fungus-like microorganisms penetrate calcareous substrates formed by living organisms, cause significant bioerosion and are involved in diseases of many host animals in marine ecosystems. A theoretical interactive model for the ecology of reef-building corals is proposed in this review. This model includes five principle partners that exist in a dynamic equilibrium: polyps of a colonial coelenterate, endosymbiotic zooxanthellae, endolithic algae (that penetrate coral skeletons), endolithic fungi (that attack the endolithic algae, the zooxanthellae and the polyps) and prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms (which live in the coral mucus). Endolithic fungi and fungus-like boring microorganisms are important components of the marine calcium carbonate cycle because they actively contribute to the biodegradation of shells of animals composed of calcium carbonate and calcareous geological substrates.

Microbial community function in the bleaching disease of the marine macroalgae Delisea pulchra

Disease is increasingly viewed as a major factor impacting the health of both natural and cultured populations of marine organisms, including macroalgae. The red macroalga Delisea pulchra suffers from a bleaching disease resulting from host stress and infection by opportunistic bacterial pathogens. However, how pathogens cause the disease and how the entire macro algal-associated community is involved in the process is unclear. Here, we perform a metagenomic analysis of microbial communities associated with diseased and healthy D. pulchra across multiple bleaching events. Analysis of reconstructed 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that bacteria belonging to the families Rhodobacteraceae, Saprospiraceae and Flavobacteriaceae, including bacteria previously implicated in algal bleaching, to be enriched in diseased D. pulchra. Genes with predicted functions related to chemotaxis, motility, oxidative stress response, vitamin biosynthesis and nutrient acquisition were also prevalent in microbiomes of bleached algae, which may have a role in pathogenicity. Reconstruction of genomes that were abundant on bleached samples revealed that no single organism contains all bleaching-enriched functional genes. This observation indicates that potential virulence traits are distributed across multiple bacteria and that the disease in D. pulchra may result from a consortium of opportunistic pathogens, analogous to dysbiotic or polymicrobial diseases.

Multiple opportunistic pathogens can cause a bleaching disease in the red seaweed Delisea pulchra

While macroalgae (or seaweeds) are increasingly recognized to suffer from disease, in most cases the causative agents are unknown. The model macroalga Delisea pulchra is susceptible to a bleaching disease and previous work has identified two epiphytic bacteria, belonging to the Roseobacter clade, that cause bleaching under laboratory conditions. However, recent environmental surveys have shown that these in vitro pathogens are not abundant in naturally bleached D. pulchra, suggesting the presence of other pathogens capable of causing this algal disease. To test this hypothesis, we cultured bacteria that were abundant on bleached tissue across multiple disease events and assessed their ability to cause bleaching disease. We identified the new pathogens Alteromonas sp. BL110, Aquimarina sp. AD1 and BL5 and Agarivorans sp BL7 that are phylogenetically diverse, distinct from the previous two pathogens and can also be found in low abundance in healthy individuals. Moreover, we found that bacterial communities of diseased individuals that were infected with these pathogens were less diverse and more divergent from each other than those of healthy algae. This study demonstrates that multiple and opportunistic pathogens can cause the same disease outcome for D. pulchra and we postulate that such pathogens are more common in marine systems than previously anticipated.

Microbial Dysbiosis: Rethinking Disease in Marine Ecosystems

With growing environmental pressures placed on our marine habitats there is concern that the prevalence and severity of diseases affecting marine organisms will increase. Yet relative to terrestrial systems, we know little about the underlying causes of many of these diseases. Moreover, factors such as saprophytic colonizers and a lack of baseline data on healthy individuals make it difficult to accurately assess the role of specific microbial pathogens in disease states. Emerging evidence in the field of medicine suggests that a growing number of human diseases result from a microbiome imbalance (or dysbiosis), questioning the traditional view of a singular pathogenic agent. Here we discuss the possibility that many diseases seen in marine systems are, similarly, the result of microbial dysbiosis and the rise of opportunistic or polymicrobial infections. Thus, understanding and managing disease in the future will require us to also rethink definitions of disease and pathogenesis for marine systems. We suggest that a targeted, multidisciplinary approach that addresses the questions of microbial symbiosis in both healthy and diseased states, and at that the level of the holobiont, will be key to progress in this area.

Amplicon-Based Pyrosequencing Reveals High Diversity of Protistan Parasites in Ships' Ballast Water: Implications for Biogeography and Infectious Diseases

Ships' ballast water (BW) commonly moves macroorganisms and microorganisms across the world's oceans and along coasts; however, the majority of these microbial transfers have gone undetected. We applied high-throughput sequencing methods to identify microbial eukaryotes, specifically emphasizing the protistan parasites, in ships' BW collected from vessels calling to the Chesapeake Bay (Virginia and Maryland, USA) from European and Eastern Canadian ports. We utilized tagged-amplicon 454 pyrosequencing with two general primer sets, amplifying either the V4 or V9 domain of the small subunit (SSU) of the ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene complex, from total DNA extracted from water samples collected from the ballast tanks of bulk cargo vessels. We detected a diverse group of protistan taxa, with some known to contain important parasites in marine systems, including Apicomplexa (unidentified apicomplexans, unidentified gregarines, Cryptosporidium spp.), Dinophyta (Blastodinium spp., Euduboscquella sp., unidentified syndinids, Karlodinium spp., Syndinium spp.), Perkinsea (Parvilucifera sp.), Opisthokonta (Ichthyosporea sp., Pseudoperkinsidae, unidentified ichthyosporeans), and Stramenopiles (Labyrinthulomycetes). Further characterization of groups with parasitic taxa, consisting of phylogenetic analyses for four taxa (Cryptosporidium spp., Parvilucifera spp., Labyrinthulomycetes, and Ichthyosporea), revealed that sequences were obtained from both known and novel lineages. This study demonstrates that high-throughput sequencing is a viable and sensitive method for detecting parasitic protists when present and transported in the ballast water of ships. These data also underscore the potential importance of human-aided dispersal in the biogeography of these microbes and emerging diseases in the world's oceans.

Aspergillus Sydowii Marine Fungal Bloom in Australian Coastal Waters, Its Metabolites and Potential Impact on Symbiodinium Dinoflagellates

Dust has been widely recognised as an important source of nutrients in the marine environment and as a vector for transporting pathogenic microorganisms. Disturbingly, in the wake of a dust storm event along the eastern Australian coast line in 2009, the Continuous Plankton Recorder collected masses of fungal spores and mycelia (~150,000 spores/m³) forming a floating raft that covered a coastal area equivalent to 25 times the surface of England. Cultured A. sydowii strains exhibited varying metabolite profiles, but all produced sydonic acid, a chemotaxonomic marker for A. sydowii. The Australian marine fungal strains share major metabolites and display comparable metabolic diversity to Australian terrestrial strains and to strains pathogenic to Caribbean coral. Secondary colonisation of the rafts by other fungi, including strains of Cladosporium, Penicillium and other Aspergillus species with distinct secondary metabolite profiles, was also encountered. Our bioassays revealed that the dust-derived marine fungal extracts and known A. sydowii metabolites such as sydowic acid, sydowinol and sydowinin A adversely affect photophysiological performance (Fv/Fm) of the coral reef dinoflagellate endosymbiont Symbiodinium. Different Symbiodinium clades exhibited varying sensitivities, mimicking sensitivity to coral bleaching phenomena. The detection of such large amounts of A. sydowii following this dust storm event has potential implications for the health of coral environments such as the Great Barrier Reef.

Plant characteristics associated with widespread variation in eelgrass wasting disease

Seagrasses are ecosystem engineers of essential marine habitat. Their populations are rapidly declining worldwide. One potential cause of seagrass population declines is wasting disease, which is caused by opportunistic pathogens in the genus Labyrinthula. While infection with these pathogens is common in seagrasses, theory suggests that disease only occurs when environmental stressors cause immunosuppression of the host. Recent evidence suggests that host factors may also contribute to disease caused by opportunistic pathogens. In order to quantify patterns of disease, identify risk factors, and investigate responses to infection, we surveyed shoot density, shoot length, epiphyte load, production of plant defenses (phenols), and wasting disease prevalence in eelgrass Zostera marina across 11 sites in the central Salish Sea (Washington state, USA), a region where both wasting disease and eelgrass declines have been documented. Wasting disease was diagnosed by the presence of necrotic lesions, and Labyrinthula cells were identified with histology. Disease prevalence among sites varied from 6 to 79%. The probability of a shoot being diseased was higher in longer shoots, in patches of higher shoot density, and in shoots with higher levels of biofouling from epiphytes. Phenolic concentration was higher in diseased leaves. We hypothesize that this results from the induction of phenols during infection. Additional research is needed to evaluate whether phenols are an adaptive defense against Labyrinthula infection. The high site-level variation in disease prevalence emphasizes the potential for wasting disease to be causing some of the observed decline in eelgrass beds.

Proteomic profiling of healthy and diseased hybrid soft corals Sinularia maxima × S. polydactyla

Emerging diseases of marine invertebrates have been implicated as one of the major causes of the continuing decline in coral reefs worldwide. To date, most of the focus on marine diseases has been aimed at hard (scleractinian) corals, which are the main reef builders worldwide. However, soft (alcyonacean) corals are also essential components of tropical reefs, representing food, habitat and the 'glue' that consolidates reefs, and they are subject to the same stressors as hard corals. Sinularia maxima and S. polydactyla are the dominant soft corals on the shallow reefs of Guam, where they hybridize. In addition to both parent species, the hybrid soft coral population in Guam is particularly affected by Sinularia tissue loss disease. Using label-free shotgun proteomics, we identified differences in protein expression between healthy and diseased colonies of the hybrid S. maxima × S. polydactyla. This study provided qualitative and quantitative data on specific proteins that were differentially expressed under the stress of disease. In particular, metabolic proteins were down-regulated, whereas proteins related to stress and to symbiont photosynthesis were up-regulated in the diseased soft corals. These results indicate that soft corals are responding to pathogenesis at the level of the proteome, and that this label-free approach can be used to identify and quantify protein biomarkers of sub-lethal stress in studies of marine disease.

OCEANOGRAPHY. Contrasting futures for ocean and society from different anthropogenic CO₂ emissions scenarios

The ocean moderates anthropogenic climate change at the cost of profound alterations of its physics, chemistry, ecology, and services. Here, we evaluate and compare the risks of impacts on marine and coastal ecosystems—and the goods and services they provide—for growing cumulative carbon emissions under two contrasting emissions scenarios. The current emissions trajectory would rapidly and significantly alter many ecosystems and the associated services on which humans heavily depend. A reduced emissions scenario—consistent with the Copenhagen Accord's goal of a global temperature increase of less than 2°C—is much more favorable to the ocean but still substantially alters important marine ecosystems and associated goods and services. The management options to address ocean impacts narrow as the ocean warms and acidifies. Consequently, any new climate regime that fails to minimize ocean impacts would be incomplete and inadequate.

Landscape-level variation in disease susceptibility related to shallow-water hypoxia

Diel-cycling hypoxia is widespread in shallow portions of estuaries and lagoons, especially in systems with high nutrient loads resulting from human activities. Far less is known about the effects of this form of hypoxia than deeper-water seasonal or persistent low dissolved oxygen. We examined field patterns of diel-cycling hypoxia and used field and laboratory experiments to test its effects on acquisition and progression of Perkinsus marinus infections in the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, as well as on oyster growth and filtration. P. marinus infections cause the disease known as Dermo, have been responsible for declines in oyster populations, and have limited success of oyster restoration efforts. The severity of diel-cycling hypoxia varied among shallow monitored sites in Chesapeake Bay, and average daily minimum dissolved oxygen was positively correlated with average daily minimum pH. In both field and laboratory experiments, diel-cycling hypoxia increased acquisition and progression of infections, with stronger results found for younger (1-year-old) than older (2-3-year-old) oysters, and more pronounced effects on both infections and growth found in the field than in the laboratory. Filtration by oysters was reduced during brief periods of exposure to severe hypoxia. This should have reduced exposure to waterborne P. marinus, and contributed to the negative relationship found between hypoxia frequency and oyster growth. Negative effects of hypoxia on the host immune response is, therefore, the likely mechanism leading to elevated infections in oysters exposed to hypoxia relative to control treatments. Because there is considerable spatial variation in the frequency and severity of hypoxia, diel-cycling hypoxia may contribute to landscape-level spatial variation in disease dynamics within and among estuarine systems.

Outcomes of infections of sea anemone Aiptasia pallida with Vibrio spp. pathogenic to corals

Incidents of coral disease are on the rise. However, in the absence of a surrogate animal host, understanding of the interactions between coral pathogens and their hosts remains relatively limited, compared to other pathosystems of similar global importance. A tropical sea anemone, Aiptasia pallida, has been investigated as a surrogate model to study certain aspects of coral biology. Therefore, to test whether the utility of this surrogate model can be extended to study coral diseases, in the present study, we tested its susceptibility to common coral pathogens (Vibrio coralliilyticus and Vibrio shiloi) as well as polymicrobial consortia recovered from the Caribbean Yellow Band Disease (CYBD) lesions. A. pallida was susceptible to each of the tested pathogens. A. pallida responded to the pathogens with darkening of the tissues (associated with an increased melanization) and retraction of tentacles, followed by complete disintegration of polyp tissues. Loss of zooxanthellae was not observed; however, the disease progression pattern is consistent with the behavior of necrotizing pathogens. Virulence of some coral pathogens in Aiptasia was paralleled with their glycosidase activities.

Fungal association with sessile marine invertebrates

The presence and association of fungi with sessile marine animals such as coral and sponges has been well established, yet information on the extent of diversity of the associated fungi is still in its infancy. Culture - as well as metagenomic - and transcriptomic-based analyses have shown that fungal presence in association with these animals can be dynamic and can include "core" residents as well as shifts in fungal communities. Evidence for detrimental and beneficial interactions between fungi and their marine hosts is accumulating and current challenges include the elucidation of the chemical and cellular crosstalk between fungi and their associates within the holobionts. The ecological function of fungi in association with sessile marine animals is complex and is founded on a combination of factors such as fungal origin, host health, environmental conditions and the presence of other resident or invasive microorganisms in the host. Based on evidence from the much more studied terrestrial systems, the evaluation of marine animal-fungal symbioses under varying environmental conditions may well prove to be critical in predicting ecosystem response to global change, including effects on the health of sessile marine animals.

Host demography influences the prevalence and severity of eelgrass wasting disease

Many marine pathogens are opportunists, present in the environment, but causing disease only under certain conditions such as immunosuppression due to environmental stress or host factors such as age. In the temperate eelgrass Zostera marina, the opportunistic labyrinthulomycete pathogen Labyrinthula zosterae is present in many populations and occasionally causes severe epidemics of wasting disease; however, risk factors associated with these epidemics are unknown. We conducted both field surveys and experimental manipulations to examine the effect of leaf age (inferred from leaf size) on wasting disease prevalence and severity in Z. marina across sites in the San Juan Archipelago, Washington, USA. We confirmed that lesions observed in the field were caused by active Labyrinthula infections both by identifying the etiologic agent through histology and by performing inoculations with cultures of Labyrinthula spp. isolated from observed lesions. We found that disease prevalence increased at shallower depths and with greater leaf size at all sites, and this effect was more pronounced at declining sites. Experimental inoculations with 2 strains of L. zosterae confirmed an increased susceptibility of older leaves to infection. Overall, this pattern suggests that mature beds and shallow beds of eelgrass may be especially susceptible to outbreaks of wasting disease. The study highlights the importance of considering host and environmental factors when evaluating risk of disease from opportunistic pathogens.