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Reichert J, Tirpitz V, Plaza K, Wörner E, Bösser L, Kühn S, Primpke S, Schubert P, Ziegler M, Wilke T. Common types of microdebris affect the physiology of reef-building corals. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169276. [PMID: 38086480 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Marine debris, particularly microdebris (< 1 mm) poses a potential threat to marine life, including reef-building corals. While previous research has mainly focused on the impact of single polymer microplastics, the effects of natural microdebris, composed of a mixture of materials, have not been explored. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the effects of different microdebris, originating from major sources of pollution, on reef-building corals. For this, we exposed two scleractinian coral species, Pocillopora verrucosa and Stylophora pistillata, known to frequently ingest microplastics, to four types of microdebris in an 8-week laboratory experiment: fragmented environmental plastic debris, artificial fibers from clothing, residues from the automobile sector consisting of tire wear, brake abrasion, and varnish flakes, a single polymer microplastic treatment consisting of polyethylene particles, and a microdebris-free control treatment. Specifically, we (I) compared the effects of the different microdebris on coral growth, necrosis, and photosynthesis, (II) investigated the difference between the microdebris mixtures and the exposure to the single polymer treatment, and (III) identified potential mechanisms causing species-specific effects by contrasting the feeding responses of the two coral species on microdebris and natural food. We show that the fibers and tire wear had the strongest effects on coral physiology, with P. verrucosa being more affected than S. pistillata. Both species showed increased volume growth in response to the microdebris treatments, accompanied by decreased calcification in P. verrucosa. Photosynthetic efficiency of the symbionts was enhanced in both species. The species-specific physiological responses might be attributed to feeding reactions, with P. verrucosa responding significantly more often to microdebris than S. pistillata. These findings highlight the effect of different microdebris on coral physiology and the need for future studies to use particle mixtures to better mimic naturally occurring microdebris and assess its effect on corals in more detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Reichert
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany; Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, HI, Kāne'ohe, USA.
| | - Vanessa Tirpitz
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Katherine Plaza
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Wörner
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany; Department of Geoscience, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Luisa Bösser
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Susanne Kühn
- Wageningen Marine Research, Den Helder, the Netherlands
| | - Sebastian Primpke
- Alfred-Wegener-Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Helgoland, Germany
| | - Patrick Schubert
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Maren Ziegler
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Thomas Wilke
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
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2
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Zhu S, Wang X, Zhao W, Zhang Y, Song D, Cheng H, Zhang XH. Vertical dynamics of free-living and particle-associated vibrio communities in the eastern tropical Indian Ocean. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1285670. [PMID: 37928659 PMCID: PMC10620696 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1285670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Members of the family Vibrionaceae (vibrios) are widely distributed in estuarine, offshore, and marginal seas and perform an important ecological role in the marine organic carbon cycle. Nevertheless, there is little knowledge about whether vibrios play ecological roles in the oligotrophic pelagic area, which occupies a larger water volume. In this study, we investigated the abundance, diversity, and composition of free-living and particle-associated vibrios and their relationships with environmental factors along the water depth in the eastern tropical Indian Ocean (ETIO). The abundance of vibrios in free-living fractions was significantly higher than that of particle-associated fractions on the surface. Still, both were similar at the bottom, indicating that vibrios may shift from free-living lifestyles on the surface to mixed lifestyles at the bottom. Vibrio-specific 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing revealed that Paraphotobacterium marinum and Vibrio rotiferianus were dominant species in the water column, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus (a clinically important pathogen) was recorded in 102 samples of 111 seawater samples in 10 sites, which showed significant difference from the marginal seas. The community composition also shifted, corresponding to different depths in the water column. Paraphotobacterium marinum decreased with depth, and V. rotiferianus OTU1528 was mainly distributed in deeper water, which significantly correlated with the alteration of environmental factors (e.g., temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen). In addition to temperature and salinity, dissolved oxygen (DO) was an important factor that affected the composition and abundance of Vibrio communities in the ETIO. Our study revealed the vertical dynamics and preferential lifestyles of vibrios in the ETIO, helping to fill a knowledge gap on their ecological distribution in oligotrophic pelagic areas and fully understanding the response of vibrios in a global warming environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaodong Zhu
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiaolei Wang
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Laoshan Laboratory, Qingdao, China
| | - Wenbin Zhao
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Yulin Zhang
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Derui Song
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Haojin Cheng
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiao-Hua Zhang
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Laoshan Laboratory, Qingdao, China
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
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Contardi M, Fadda M, Isa V, Louis YD, Madaschi A, Vencato S, Montalbetti E, Bertolacci L, Ceseracciu L, Seveso D, Lavorano S, Galli P, Athanassiou A, Montano S. Biodegradable Zein-Based Biocomposite Films for Underwater Delivery of Curcumin Reduce Thermal Stress Effects in Corals. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023. [PMID: 37376819 PMCID: PMC10360034 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c01166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Massive coral bleaching episodes induced by thermal stress are one of the first causes of coral death worldwide. Overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been identified as one of the potential causes of symbiosis breakdown between polyps and algae in corals during extreme heat wave events. Here, we propose a new strategy for mitigating heat effects by delivering underwater an antioxidant to the corals. We fabricated zein/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-based biocomposite films laden with the strong and natural antioxidant curcumin as an advanced coral bleaching remediation tool. Biocomposites' mechanical, water contact angle (WCA), swelling, and release properties can be tuned thanks to different supramolecular rearrangements that occur by varying the zein/PVP weight ratio. Following immersion in seawater, the biocomposites became soft hydrogels that did not affect the coral's health in the short (24 h) and long periods (15 days). Laboratory bleaching experiments at 29 and 33 °C showed that coral colonies of Stylophora pistillata coated with the biocomposites had ameliorated conditions in terms of morphological aspects, chlorophyll content, and enzymatic activity compared to untreated colonies and did not bleach. Finally, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) confirmed the full biodegradability of the biocomposites, showing a low potential environmental impact in the case of open-field application. These insights may pave the way for new frontiers in mitigating extreme coral bleaching events by combining natural antioxidants and biocomposites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Contardi
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), University of Milan - Bicocca, Milan 20126, Italy
- MaRHE Center (Marine Research and High Education Center), Magoodhoo Island, Faafu Atoll 12030, Republic of Maldives
| | - Marta Fadda
- Smart Materials, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova 16163, Italy
| | - Valerio Isa
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), University of Milan - Bicocca, Milan 20126, Italy
- MaRHE Center (Marine Research and High Education Center), Magoodhoo Island, Faafu Atoll 12030, Republic of Maldives
| | - Yohan D Louis
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), University of Milan - Bicocca, Milan 20126, Italy
- MaRHE Center (Marine Research and High Education Center), Magoodhoo Island, Faafu Atoll 12030, Republic of Maldives
| | - Andrea Madaschi
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), University of Milan - Bicocca, Milan 20126, Italy
- MaRHE Center (Marine Research and High Education Center), Magoodhoo Island, Faafu Atoll 12030, Republic of Maldives
| | - Sara Vencato
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), University of Milan - Bicocca, Milan 20126, Italy
- MaRHE Center (Marine Research and High Education Center), Magoodhoo Island, Faafu Atoll 12030, Republic of Maldives
| | - Enrico Montalbetti
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), University of Milan - Bicocca, Milan 20126, Italy
- MaRHE Center (Marine Research and High Education Center), Magoodhoo Island, Faafu Atoll 12030, Republic of Maldives
| | - Laura Bertolacci
- Smart Materials, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova 16163, Italy
| | - Luca Ceseracciu
- Materials Characterization Facility, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova 16163, Italy
| | - Davide Seveso
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), University of Milan - Bicocca, Milan 20126, Italy
- MaRHE Center (Marine Research and High Education Center), Magoodhoo Island, Faafu Atoll 12030, Republic of Maldives
| | - Silvia Lavorano
- Costa Edutainment SpA - Acquario di Genova, Genova 16128, Italy
| | - Paolo Galli
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), University of Milan - Bicocca, Milan 20126, Italy
- MaRHE Center (Marine Research and High Education Center), Magoodhoo Island, Faafu Atoll 12030, Republic of Maldives
- Dubai Business School, University of Dubai, Dubai 14143, United Arab Emirates
| | | | - Simone Montano
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), University of Milan - Bicocca, Milan 20126, Italy
- MaRHE Center (Marine Research and High Education Center), Magoodhoo Island, Faafu Atoll 12030, Republic of Maldives
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Binet MT, Reichelt-Brushett A, McKnight K, Golding LA, Humphrey C, Stauber JL. Adult Corals Are Uniquely More Sensitive to Manganese Than Coral Early-Life Stages. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2023; 42:1359-1370. [PMID: 36946339 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Manganese (Mn) is an essential element and is generally considered to be one of the least toxic metals to aquatic organisms, with chronic effects rarely seen at concentrations below 1000 µg/L. Anthropogenic activities lead to elevated concentrations of Mn in tropical marine waters. Limited data suggest that Mn is more acutely toxic to adults than to early life stages of scleractinian corals in static renewal tests. However, to enable the inclusion of sufficient sensitive coral data in species sensitivity distributions to derive water quality guideline values for Mn, we determined the acute toxicity of Mn to the adult scleractinian coral, Acropora muricata, in flow-through exposures. The 48-h median effective concentration was 824 µg Mn/L (based on time-weighted average, measured, dissolved Mn). The endpoint was tissue sloughing, a lethal process by which coral tissue detaches from the coral skeleton. Tissue sloughing was unrelated to superoxidase dismutase activity in coral tissue, and occurred in the absence of bleaching, that is, toxic effects were observed for the coral host, but not for algal symbionts. We confirm that adult scleractinian corals are uniquely sensitive to Mn in acute exposures at concentrations 10-340 times lower than those reported to cause acute or chronic toxicity to coral early life stages, challenging the traditional notion that early life stages are more sensitive than mature organisms. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;00:1-12. © 2023 Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique T Binet
- Centre for Environmental Contaminants Research, Commonwealth Scientific and Industial Research Organisation Land and Water, Lucas Heights, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Amanda Reichelt-Brushett
- School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kitty McKnight
- The National Sea Simulator, Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Lisa A Golding
- Centre for Environmental Contaminants Research, Commonwealth Scientific and Industial Research Organisation Land and Water, Lucas Heights, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Craig Humphrey
- The National Sea Simulator, Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jenny L Stauber
- Centre for Environmental Contaminants Research, Commonwealth Scientific and Industial Research Organisation Land and Water, Lucas Heights, New South Wales, Australia
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Rich WA, Carvalho S, Berumen ML. Coral bleaching due to cold stress on a central Red Sea reef flat. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9450. [PMID: 36284520 PMCID: PMC9587464 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Ocean warming is leading to more frequent coral bleaching events. However, cold stress can also induce bleaching in corals. Here, we report observations of a boreal winter bleaching event in January 2020 in the central Red Sea, mainly within a population of the branching coral Stylophora pistillata on an offshore reef flat. Sea surface temperatures (SSTs) rarely fall below 24°C in this region, but data loggers deployed on several nearby reef flats recorded overnight seawater temperatures as low as 18°C just 3 days before the observations. The low temperatures coincided with an extremely low tide and cool air temperatures, likely resulting in the aerial exposure of the corals during the night time low‐tide event. The risk of aerial exposure is rare in winter months, as the Red Sea exhibits seasonal fluctuations in sea level with winter values typically 0.3–0.4 m higher than in summer. These observations are notable for a region typically characterized as a high‐temperature sea, and highlight the need for long‐term monitoring programs as this rare event may have gone unnoticed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter A. Rich
- Red Sea Research CenterKing Abdullah University of Science and TechnologyThuwalSaudi Arabia
| | - Susana Carvalho
- Red Sea Research CenterKing Abdullah University of Science and TechnologyThuwalSaudi Arabia
| | - Michael L. Berumen
- Red Sea Research CenterKing Abdullah University of Science and TechnologyThuwalSaudi Arabia
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Rich WA, Carvalho S, Cadiz R, Gil G, Gonzalez K, Berumen ML. Size structure of the coral Stylophora pistillata across reef flat zones in the central Red Sea. Sci Rep 2022; 12:13979. [PMID: 35977972 PMCID: PMC9383669 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-17908-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Demographic analyses offer insight into the state of a population. Here, we surveyed different reef flat zones (exposed, midreef and sheltered) of six reefs over a cross-shelf gradient to characterize the population structure of Stylophora pistillata, a coral species which dominates reef flats in the central Red Sea. Phototransects were conducted at each reef flat zone, and the density of S. pistillata, the planar area of each colony, and the occurrence of partial mortality were calculated using the program ImageJ. Each colony was also assigned a color morph (yellow, purple or mixed colors). Density and mean size were extremely variable, both among reef flat zones and reefs, but overall, both metrics were lower on the midshelf reefs. The yellow color morph accounted for nearly 90% of colonies surveyed and dominated most reef flats assessed, with the exception of one site where 81% of colonies were purple morphs. There were no spatial trends in the percentage of colonies suffering partial mortality, but overall there is a positive correlation with size class and proportion of colonies with partial mortality. Despite few trends emerging from assessing individual parameters, a PERMANOVA analysis revealed differences among reef flat zones in most of the reefs, highlighting the importance of multivariate analysis. The data presented here serve as a baseline for monitoring and may identify possible future demographic changes to this important coral species in a region increasingly affected by bleaching events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter A Rich
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Susana Carvalho
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ronald Cadiz
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Gloria Gil
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Karla Gonzalez
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Michael L Berumen
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
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