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Sun Y, Lan Y, Rädecker N, Sheng H, Diaz-Pulido G, Qian PY, Huang H. Gene expression of Pocillopora damicornis coral larvae in response to acidification and ocean warming. BMC Genom Data 2024; 25:28. [PMID: 38459437 PMCID: PMC10924396 DOI: 10.1186/s12863-024-01211-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The endosymbiosis with Symbiodiniaceae is key to the ecological success of reef-building corals. However, climate change is threatening to destabilize this symbiosis on a global scale. Most studies looking into the response of corals to heat stress and ocean acidification focus on coral colonies. As such, our knowledge of symbiotic interactions and stress response in other stages of the coral lifecycle remains limited. Establishing transcriptomic resources for coral larvae under stress can thus provide a foundation for understanding the genomic basis of symbiosis, and its susceptibility to climate change. Here, we present a gene expression dataset generated from larvae of the coral Pocillopora damicornis in response to exposure to acidification and elevated temperature conditions below the bleaching threshold of the symbiosis. DATA DESCRIPTION This dataset is comprised of 16 samples (30 larvae per sample) collected from four treatments (Control, High pCO2, High Temperature, and Combined pCO2 and Temperature treatments). Freshly collected larvae were exposed to treatment conditions for five days, providing valuable insights into gene expression in this vulnerable stage of the lifecycle. In combination with previously published datasets, this transcriptomic resource will facilitate the in-depth investigation of the effects of ocean acidification and elevated temperature on coral larvae and its implication for symbiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youfang Sun
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 510301, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Ocean Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
- CAS-HKUST Sanya Joint Laboratory of Marine Science Research and Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Tropical Marine Biological Research Station in Hainan, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 572000, Sanya, China
| | - Yi Lan
- Department of Ocean Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, 511458, Guangzhou, China
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Huaxia Sheng
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Sciences, Xiamen University, 361101, Xiamen, China
| | - Guillermo Diaz-Pulido
- School of Environment and Science, Coastal and Marine Research Centre, and Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, Nathan Campus, 4111, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Pei-Yuan Qian
- Department of Ocean Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.
- CAS-HKUST Sanya Joint Laboratory of Marine Science Research and Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Tropical Marine Biological Research Station in Hainan, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 572000, Sanya, China.
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, 511458, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Hui Huang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 510301, Guangzhou, China.
- CAS-HKUST Sanya Joint Laboratory of Marine Science Research and Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Tropical Marine Biological Research Station in Hainan, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 572000, Sanya, China.
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Toullec G, Rädecker N, Pogoreutz C, Banc-Prandi G, Escrig S, Genoud C, Olmos CM, Spangenberg J, Meibom A. Host starvation and in hospite degradation of algal symbionts shape the heat stress response of the Cassiopea-Symbiodiniaceae symbiosis. Microbiome 2024; 12:42. [PMID: 38424629 PMCID: PMC10902967 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-023-01738-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Global warming is causing large-scale disruption of cnidarian-Symbiodiniaceae symbioses fundamental to major marine ecosystems, such as coral reefs. However, the mechanisms by which heat stress perturbs these symbiotic partnerships remain poorly understood. In this context, the upside-down jellyfish Cassiopea has emerged as a powerful experimental model system. RESULTS We combined a controlled heat stress experiment with isotope labeling and correlative SEM-NanoSIMS imaging to show that host starvation is a central component in the chain of events that ultimately leads to the collapse of the Cassiopea holobiont. Heat stress caused an increase in catabolic activity and a depletion of carbon reserves in the unfed host, concurrent with a reduction in the supply of photosynthates from its algal symbionts. This state of host starvation was accompanied by pronounced in hospite degradation of algal symbionts, which may be a distinct feature of the heat stress response of Cassiopea. Interestingly, this loss of symbionts by degradation was concealed by body shrinkage of the starving animals, resulting in what could be referred to as "invisible" bleaching. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our study highlights the importance of the nutritional status in the heat stress response of the Cassiopea holobiont. Compared with other symbiotic cnidarians, the large mesoglea of Cassiopea, with its structural sugar and protein content, may constitute an energy reservoir capable of delaying starvation. It seems plausible that this anatomical feature at least partly contributes to the relatively high stress tolerance of these animals in rapidly warming oceans. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaëlle Toullec
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland.
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
| | - Claudia Pogoreutz
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
- PSL Université Paris: EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, UAR 3278 CRIOBE, Université de Perpignan, 52 Avenue Paul Alduy, Perpignan Cedex, 66860, France
| | - Guilhem Banc-Prandi
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
| | - Stéphane Escrig
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
| | - Christel Genoud
- Electron Microscopy Facility, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
| | - Cristina Martin Olmos
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
- Center for Advanced Surface Analysis, Institute of Earth Science, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
| | - Jorge Spangenberg
- Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
| | - Anders Meibom
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland.
- Center for Advanced Surface Analysis, Institute of Earth Science, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland.
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Toullec G, Lyndby NH, Banc-Prandi G, Pogoreutz C, Martin Olmos C, Meibom A, Rädecker N. Symbiotic nutrient exchange enhances the long-term survival of cassiosomes, the autonomous stinging-cell structures of Cassiopea. mSphere 2024; 9:e0032223. [PMID: 38088556 PMCID: PMC10826341 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00322-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Medusae of the widely distributed upside-down jellyfish Cassiopea release autonomous, mobile stinging structures. These so-called cassiosomes play a role in predator defense and prey capture, and are major contributors to "contactless" stinging incidents in (sub-)tropical shallow waters. While the presence of endosymbiotic dinoflagellates in cassiosomes has previously been observed, their potential contribution to the metabolism and long-term survival of cassiosomes is unknown. Combining stable isotope labeling and correlative scanning electron microscopy and nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging with a long-term in vitro experiment, our study reveals a mutualistic symbiosis based on nutritional exchanges in dinoflagellate-bearing cassiosomes. We show that organic carbon input from the dinoflagellates fuels the metabolism of the host tissue and enables anabolic nitrogen assimilation. This symbiotic nutrient exchange enhances the life span of cassiosomes for at least one month in vitro. Overall, our study demonstrates that cassiosomes, in analogy with Cassiopea medusae, are photosymbiotic holobionts. Cassiosomes, which are easily accessible under aquarium conditions, promise to be a powerful new miniaturized model system for in-depth ultrastructural and molecular investigation of cnidarian photosymbioses.IMPORTANCEThe upside-down jellyfish Cassiopea releases autonomous tissue structures, which are a major cause of contactless stinging incidents in (sub-) tropical coastal waters. These so-called cassiosomes frequently harbor algal symbionts, yet their role in cassiosome functioning and survival is unknown. Our results show that cassiosomes are metabolically active and supported by algal symbionts. Algal photosynthesis enhances the cassiosomes long-term survival in the light. This functional understanding of cassiosomes thereby contributes to explaining the prevalence of contactless stinging incidents and the ecological success of some Cassiopea species. Finally, we show that cassiosomes are miniaturized symbiotic holobionts that can be used to study host-microbe interactions in a simplified system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaëlle Toullec
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Niclas Heidelberg Lyndby
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Guilhem Banc-Prandi
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Claudia Pogoreutz
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- PSL Université Paris: EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, UAR 3278 CRIOBE, Université de Perpignan, Perpignan, France
| | - Cristina Martin Olmos
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Advanced Surface Analysis, Institute of Earth Science, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anders Meibom
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Advanced Surface Analysis, Institute of Earth Science, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
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Rädecker N, Escrig S, Spangenberg JE, Voolstra CR, Meibom A. Coupled carbon and nitrogen cycling regulates the cnidarian-algal symbiosis. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6948. [PMID: 37914705 PMCID: PMC10620199 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42579-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Efficient nutrient recycling underpins the ecological success of cnidarian-algal symbioses in oligotrophic waters. In these symbioses, nitrogen limitation restricts the growth of algal endosymbionts in hospite and stimulates their release of photosynthates to the cnidarian host. However, the mechanisms controlling nitrogen availability and their role in symbiosis regulation remain poorly understood. Here, we studied the metabolic regulation of symbiotic nitrogen cycling in the sea anemone Aiptasia by experimentally altering labile carbon availability in a series of experiments. Combining 13C and 15N stable isotope labeling experiments with physiological analyses and NanoSIMS imaging, we show that the competition for environmental ammonium between the host and its algal symbionts is regulated by labile carbon availability. Light regimes optimal for algal photosynthesis increase carbon availability in the holobiont and stimulate nitrogen assimilation in the host metabolism. Consequently, algal symbiont densities are lowest under optimal environmental conditions and increase toward the lower and upper light tolerance limits of the symbiosis. This metabolic regulation promotes efficient carbon recycling in a stable symbiosis across a wide range of environmental conditions. Yet, the dependence on resource competition may favor parasitic interactions, explaining the instability of the cnidarian-algal symbiosis as environmental conditions in the Anthropocene shift towards its tolerance limits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Rädecker
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Stéphane Escrig
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jorge E Spangenberg
- Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Anders Meibom
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Advanced Surface Analysis, Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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5
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Meibom A, Plane F, Cheng T, Grandjean G, Haldimann O, Escrig S, Jensen L, Daraspe J, Mucciolo A, De Bellis D, Rädecker N, Martin-Olmos C, Genoud C, Comment A. Correlated cryo-SEM and CryoNanoSIMS imaging of biological tissue. BMC Biol 2023; 21:126. [PMID: 37280616 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01623-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The development of nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) has revolutionized the study of biological tissues by enabling, e.g., the visualization and quantification of metabolic processes at subcellular length scales. However, the associated sample preparation methods all result in some degree of tissue morphology distortion and loss of soluble compounds. To overcome these limitations an entirely cryogenic sample preparation and imaging workflow is required. RESULTS Here, we report the development of a CryoNanoSIMS instrument that can perform isotope imaging of both positive and negative secondary ions from flat block-face surfaces of vitrified biological tissues with a mass- and image resolution comparable to that of a conventional NanoSIMS. This capability is illustrated with nitrogen isotope as well as trace element mapping of freshwater hydrozoan Green Hydra tissue following uptake of 15N-enriched ammonium. CONCLUSION With a cryo-workflow that includes vitrification by high pressure freezing, cryo-planing of the sample surface, and cryo-SEM imaging, the CryoNanoSIMS enables correlative ultrastructure and isotopic or elemental imaging of biological tissues in their most pristine post-mortem state. This opens new horizons in the study of fundamental processes at the tissue- and (sub)cellular level. TEASER CryoNanoSIMS: subcellular mapping of chemical and isotopic compositions of biological tissues in their most pristine post-mortem state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anders Meibom
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland.
- Center for Advanced Surface Analysis, Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland.
| | - Florent Plane
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland
- Center for Advanced Surface Analysis, Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Tian Cheng
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Gilles Grandjean
- Mechanical Workshop, School of Basic Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Haldimann
- Mechanical Workshop, School of Basic Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Stephane Escrig
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Louise Jensen
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Jean Daraspe
- Electron Microscopy Facility, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Antonio Mucciolo
- Electron Microscopy Facility, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Damien De Bellis
- Electron Microscopy Facility, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Cristina Martin-Olmos
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland
- Center for Advanced Surface Analysis, Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Christel Genoud
- Electron Microscopy Facility, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Arnaud Comment
- Institute of Physics, School of Basic Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland
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Cui G, Konciute MK, Ling L, Esau L, Raina JB, Han B, Salazar OR, Presnell JS, Rädecker N, Zhong H, Menzies J, Cleves PA, Liew YJ, Krediet CJ, Sawiccy V, Cziesielski MJ, Guagliardo P, Bougoure J, Pernice M, Hirt H, Voolstra CR, Weis VM, Pringle JR, Aranda M. Molecular insights into the Darwin paradox of coral reefs from the sea anemone Aiptasia. Sci Adv 2023; 9:eadf7108. [PMID: 36921053 PMCID: PMC10017044 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf7108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Symbiotic cnidarians such as corals and anemones form highly productive and biodiverse coral reef ecosystems in nutrient-poor ocean environments, a phenomenon known as Darwin's paradox. Resolving this paradox requires elucidating the molecular bases of efficient nutrient distribution and recycling in the cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis. Using the sea anemone Aiptasia, we show that during symbiosis, the increased availability of glucose and the presence of the algae jointly induce the coordinated up-regulation and relocalization of glucose and ammonium transporters. These molecular responses are critical to support symbiont functioning and organism-wide nitrogen assimilation through glutamine synthetase/glutamate synthase-mediated amino acid biosynthesis. Our results reveal crucial aspects of the molecular mechanisms underlying nitrogen conservation and recycling in these organisms that allow them to thrive in the nitrogen-poor ocean environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoxin Cui
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Migle K. Konciute
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Lorraine Ling
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Luke Esau
- Core Labs, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jean-Baptiste Raina
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Baoda Han
- DARWIN21, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Octavio R. Salazar
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jason S. Presnell
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz 78457, Germany
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Huawen Zhong
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jessica Menzies
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Phillip A. Cleves
- Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Yi Jin Liew
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Cory J. Krediet
- Department of Marine Science, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL 33711, USA
| | - Val Sawiccy
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Maha J. Cziesielski
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Paul Guagliardo
- Centre for Microscopy Characterisation and Analysis, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Jeremy Bougoure
- Centre for Microscopy Characterisation and Analysis, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Mathieu Pernice
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Heribert Hirt
- DARWIN21, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Christian R. Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz 78457, Germany
| | - Virginia M. Weis
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - John R. Pringle
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Manuel Aranda
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
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Xiang N, Meyer A, Pogoreutz C, Rädecker N, Voolstra CR, Wild C, Gärdes A. Excess labile carbon promotes diazotroph abundance in heat-stressed octocorals. R Soc Open Sci 2023; 10:221268. [PMID: 36938541 PMCID: PMC10014249 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.221268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen limitation is the foundation of stable coral-algal symbioses. Diazotrophs, prokaryotes capable of fixing N2 into ammonia, support the productivity of corals in oligotrophic waters, but could contribute to the destabilization of holobiont functioning when overstimulated. Recent studies on reef-building corals have shown that labile dissolved organic carbon (DOC) enrichment or heat stress increases diazotroph abundance and activity, thereby increasing nitrogen availability and destabilizing the coral-algal symbiosis. However, the (a)biotic drivers of diazotrophs in octocorals are still poorly understood. We investigated diazotroph abundance (via relative quantification of nifH gene copy numbers) in two symbiotic octocorals, the more mixotrophic soft coral Xenia umbellata and the more autotrophic gorgonian Pinnigorgia flava, under (i) labile DOC enrichment for 21 days, followed by (ii) combined labile DOC enrichment and heat stress for 24 days. Without heat stress, relative diazotroph abundances in X. umbellata and P. flava were unaffected by DOC enrichment. During heat stress, DOC enrichment (20 and 40 mg glucose l-1) increased the relative abundances of diazotrophs by sixfold in X. umbellata and fourfold in P. flava, compared with their counterparts without excess DOC. Our data suggest that labile DOC enrichment and concomitant heat stress could disrupt the nitrogen limitation in octocorals by stimulating diazotroph proliferation. Ultimately, the disruption of nitrogen cycling may further compromise octocoral fitness by destabilizing symbiotic nutrient cycling. Therefore, improving local wastewater facilities to reduce labile DOC input into vulnerable coastal ecosystems may help octocorals cope with ocean warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Xiang
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen Bremen 28359, Germany
- Section of Polar Biological Oceanography, Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven 27570, Germany
- Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), Bremen 28359, Germany
| | - Achim Meyer
- Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), Bremen 28359, Germany
| | - Claudia Pogoreutz
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz 78457, Germany
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz 78457, Germany
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Christian Wild
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen Bremen 28359, Germany
| | - Astrid Gärdes
- Section of Polar Biological Oceanography, Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven 27570, Germany
- Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), Bremen 28359, Germany
- Hochschule Bremerhaven, Fachbereich 1, An der Karlstadt 8, Bremerhaven 27568, Germany
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8
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Xiang N, Rädecker N, Pogoreutz C, Cárdenas A, Meibom A, Wild C, Gärdes A, Voolstra CR. Presence of algal symbionts affects denitrifying bacterial communities in the sea anemone Aiptasia coral model. ISME Commun 2022; 2:105. [PMID: 37938763 PMCID: PMC9723753 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-022-00190-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
The coral-algal symbiosis is maintained by a constant and limited nitrogen availability in the holobiont. Denitrifiers, i.e., prokaryotes reducing nitrate/nitrite to dinitrogen, could contribute to maintaining the nitrogen limitation in the coral holobiont, however the effect of host and algal identity on their community is still unknown. Using the coral model Aiptasia, we quantified and characterized the denitrifier community in a full-factorial design combining two hosts (CC7 and H2) and two strains of algal symbionts of the family Symbiodiniaceae (SSA01 and SSB01). Strikingly, relative abundance of denitrifiers increased by up to 22-fold in photosymbiotic Aiptasia compared to their aposymbiotic (i.e., algal-depleted) counterparts. In line with this, while the denitrifier community in aposymbiotic Aiptasia was largely dominated by diet-associated Halomonas, we observed an increasing relative abundance of an unclassified bacterium in photosymbiotic CC7, and Ketobacter in photosymbiotic H2, respectively. Pronounced changes in denitrifier communities of Aiptasia with Symbiodinium linucheae strain SSA01 aligned with the higher photosynthetic carbon availability of these holobionts compared to Aiptasia with Breviolum minutum strain SSB01. Our results reveal that the presence of algal symbionts increases abundance and alters community structure of denitrifiers in Aiptasia. Thereby, patterns in denitrifier community likely reflect the nutritional status of aposymbiotic vs. symbiotic holobionts. Such a passive regulation of denitrifiers may contribute to maintaining the nitrogen limitation required for the functioning of the cnidarian-algal symbiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Xiang
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, 28359, Bremen, Germany.
- Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, 27570, Bremerhaven, Germany.
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Claudia Pogoreutz
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anny Cárdenas
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Anders Meibom
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Advanced Surface Analysis (CASA), Institute of Earth Science, University of Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christian Wild
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, 28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - Astrid Gärdes
- Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, 27570, Bremerhaven, Germany
- Hochschule Bremerhaven, Fachbereich 1, An der Karlstadt 8, 27568, Bremerhaven, Germany
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9
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Cárdenas A, Raina JB, Pogoreutz C, Rädecker N, Bougoure J, Guagliardo P, Pernice M, Voolstra CR. Greater functional diversity and redundancy of coral endolithic microbiomes align with lower coral bleaching susceptibility. ISME J 2022; 16:2406-2420. [PMID: 35840731 PMCID: PMC9478130 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-022-01283-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
The skeleton of reef-building coral harbors diverse microbial communities that could compensate for metabolic deficiencies caused by the loss of algal endosymbionts, i.e., coral bleaching. However, it is unknown to what extent endolith taxonomic diversity and functional potential might contribute to thermal resilience. Here we exposed Goniastrea edwardsi and Porites lutea, two common reef-building corals from the central Red Sea to a 17-day long heat stress. Using hyperspectral imaging, marker gene/metagenomic sequencing, and NanoSIMS, we characterized their endolithic microbiomes together with 15N and 13C assimilation of two skeletal compartments: the endolithic band directly below the coral tissue and the deep skeleton. The bleaching-resistant G. edwardsi was associated with endolithic microbiomes of greater functional diversity and redundancy that exhibited lower N and C assimilation than endoliths in the bleaching-sensitive P. lutea. We propose that the lower endolithic primary productivity in G. edwardsi can be attributed to the dominance of chemolithotrophs. Lower primary production within the skeleton may prevent unbalanced nutrient fluxes to coral tissues under heat stress, thereby preserving nutrient-limiting conditions characteristic of a stable coral-algal symbiosis. Our findings link coral endolithic microbiome structure and function to bleaching susceptibility, providing new avenues for understanding and eventually mitigating reef loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anny Cárdenas
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, 78457, Germany.
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Jean-Baptiste Raina
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia.
| | - Claudia Pogoreutz
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, 78457, Germany
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955, Saudi Arabia
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, 78457, Germany
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955, Saudi Arabia
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
| | - Jeremy Bougoure
- Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Paul Guagliardo
- Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Mathieu Pernice
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Christian R Voolstra
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, 78457, Germany.
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955, Saudi Arabia.
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10
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Klein SG, Geraldi NR, Anton A, Schmidt‐Roach S, Ziegler M, Cziesielski MJ, Martin C, Rädecker N, Frölicher TL, Mumby PJ, Pandolfi JM, Suggett DJ, Voolstra CR, Aranda M, Duarte CM. Projecting coral responses to intensifying marine heatwaves under ocean acidification. Glob Chang Biol 2022; 28:1753-1765. [PMID: 34343392 PMCID: PMC9291544 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Over this century, coral reefs will run the gauntlet of climate change, as marine heatwaves (MHWs) become more intense and frequent, and ocean acidification (OA) progresses. However, we still lack a quantitative assessment of how, and to what degree, OA will moderate the responses of corals to MHWs as they intensify throughout this century. Here, we first projected future MHW intensities for tropical regions under three future greenhouse gas emissions scenario (representative concentration pathways, RCP2.6, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) for the near-term (2021-2040), mid-century (2041-2060) and late-century (2081-2100). We then combined these MHW intensity projections with a global data set of 1,788 experiments to assess coral attribute performance and survival under the three emissions scenarios for the near-term, mid-century and late-century in the presence and absence of OA. Although warming and OA had predominately additive impacts on the coral responses, the contribution of OA in affecting most coral attributes was minor relative to the dominant role of intensifying MHWs. However, the addition of OA led to greater decreases in photosynthesis and survival under intermediate and unrestricted emissions scenario for the mid- and late-century than if intensifying MHWs were considered as the only driver. These results show that role of OA in modulating coral responses to intensifying MHWs depended on the focal coral attribute and extremity of the scenario examined. Specifically, intensifying MHWs and OA will cause increasing instances of coral bleaching and substantial declines in coral productivity, calcification and survival within the next two decades under the low and intermediate emissions scenario. These projections suggest that corals must rapidly adapt or acclimatize to projected ocean conditions to persist, which is far more likely under a low emissions scenario and with increasing efforts to manage reefs to enhance resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon G. Klein
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC) and Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC)King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)ThuwalKingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Nathan R. Geraldi
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC) and Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC)King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)ThuwalKingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Andrea Anton
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC) and Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC)King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)ThuwalKingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Sebastian Schmidt‐Roach
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC)King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)ThuwalKingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Maren Ziegler
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC)King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)ThuwalKingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Department of Animal Ecology & SystematicsJustus Liebig UniversityGiessenGermany
| | - Maha J. Cziesielski
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC)King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)ThuwalKingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Cecilia Martin
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC) and Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC)King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)ThuwalKingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC)King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)ThuwalKingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Thomas L. Frölicher
- Climate and Environmental PhysicsPhysics InstituteUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change ResearchUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
| | - Peter J. Mumby
- Marine Spatial Ecology LabSchool of Biological SciencesThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneQueenslandAustralia
| | - John M. Pandolfi
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef StudiesSchool of Biological SciencesThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneQueenslandAustralia
| | - David J. Suggett
- Climate Change ClusterFaculty of ScienceUniversity of Technology SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Christian R. Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC)King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)ThuwalKingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Department of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
| | - Manuel Aranda
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC)King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)ThuwalKingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Carlos. M. Duarte
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC) and Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC)King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)ThuwalKingdom of Saudi Arabia
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11
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Rädecker N, Pogoreutz C, Gegner HM, Cárdenas A, Perna G, Geißler L, Roth F, Bougoure J, Guagliardo P, Struck U, Wild C, Pernice M, Raina JB, Meibom A, Voolstra CR. Heat stress reduces the contribution of diazotrophs to coral holobiont nitrogen cycling. ISME J 2021; 16:1110-1118. [PMID: 34857934 PMCID: PMC8941099 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-021-01158-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Efficient nutrient cycling in the coral-algal symbiosis requires constant but limited nitrogen availability. Coral-associated diazotrophs, i.e., prokaryotes capable of fixing dinitrogen, may thus support productivity in a stable coral-algal symbiosis but could contribute to its breakdown when overstimulated. However, the effects of environmental conditions on diazotroph communities and their interaction with other members of the coral holobiont remain poorly understood. Here we assessed the effects of heat stress on diazotroph diversity and their contribution to holobiont nutrient cycling in the reef-building coral Stylophora pistillata from the central Red Sea. In a stable symbiotic state, we found that nitrogen fixation by coral-associated diazotrophs constitutes a source of nitrogen to the algal symbionts. Heat stress caused an increase in nitrogen fixation concomitant with a change in diazotroph communities. Yet, this additional fixed nitrogen was not assimilated by the coral tissue or the algal symbionts. We conclude that although diazotrophs may support coral holobiont functioning under low nitrogen availability, altered nutrient cycling during heat stress abates the dependence of the coral host and its algal symbionts on diazotroph-derived nitrogen. Consequently, the role of nitrogen fixation in the coral holobiont is strongly dependent on its nutritional status and varies dynamically with environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Rädecker
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia. .,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany. .,Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Claudia Pogoreutz
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Hagen M Gegner
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.,Metabolomics Core Technology Platform, Centre for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anny Cárdenas
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Gabriela Perna
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Laura Geißler
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Florian Roth
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.,Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.,Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jeremy Bougoure
- Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Paul Guagliardo
- Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Ulrich Struck
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Earth Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Wild
- Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, Marine Ecology Department, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Mathieu Pernice
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jean-Baptiste Raina
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Anders Meibom
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Center for Advanced Surface Analysis, Institute of Earth Sciences, Université de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christian R Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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12
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Ziegler M, Anton A, Klein SG, Rädecker N, Geraldi NR, Schmidt-Roach S, Saderne V, Mumby PJ, Cziesielski MJ, Martin C, Frölicher TL, Pandolfi JM, Suggett DJ, Aranda M, Duarte CM, Voolstra CR. Integrating environmental variability to broaden the research on coral responses to future ocean conditions. Glob Chang Biol 2021; 27:5532-5546. [PMID: 34391212 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 06/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Our understanding of the response of reef-building corals to changes in their physical environment is largely based on laboratory experiments, analysis of long-term field data, and model projections. Experimental data provide unique insights into how organisms respond to variation of environmental drivers. However, an assessment of how well experimental conditions cover the breadth of environmental conditions and variability where corals live successfully is missing. Here, we compiled and analyzed a globally distributed dataset of in-situ seasonal and diurnal variability of key environmental drivers (temperature, pCO2 , and O2 ) critical for the growth and livelihood of reef-building corals. Using a meta-analysis approach, we compared the variability of environmental conditions assayed in coral experimental studies to current and projected conditions in their natural habitats. We found that annual temperature profiles projected for the end of the 21st century were characterized by distributional shifts in temperatures with warmer winters and longer warm periods in the summer, not just peak temperatures. Furthermore, short-term hourly fluctuations of temperature and pCO2 may regularly expose corals to conditions beyond the projected average increases for the end of the 21st century. Coral reef sites varied in the degree of coupling between temperature, pCO2 , and dissolved O2 , which warrants site-specific, differentiated experimental approaches depending on the local hydrography and influence of biological processes on the carbonate system and O2 availability. Our analysis highlights that a large portion of the natural environmental variability at short and long timescales is underexplored in experimental designs, which may provide a path to extend our understanding on the response of corals to global climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maren Ziegler
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Andrea Anton
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC) and Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Global Change Research Group, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies, Esporles (Illes Balears), Spain
| | - Shannon G Klein
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC) and Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nathan R Geraldi
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC) and Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Sebastian Schmidt-Roach
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Vincent Saderne
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Peter J Mumby
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Qld, Australia
| | - Maha J Cziesielski
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Cecilia Martin
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC) and Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Thomas L Frölicher
- Climate and Environmental Physics, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - John M Pandolfi
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, Australia
| | - David J Suggett
- Climate Change Cluster, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Manuel Aranda
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Carlos M Duarte
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC) and Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Christian R Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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13
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Meunier V, Geissler L, Bonnet S, Rädecker N, Perna G, Grosso O, Lambert C, Rodolfo-Metalpa R, Voolstra CR, Houlbrèque F. Microbes support enhanced nitrogen requirements of coral holobionts in a high CO 2 environment. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:5888-5899. [PMID: 34473860 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Ocean acidification is posing a threat to calcifying organisms due to the increased energy requirements of calcification under high CO2 conditions. The ability of scleractinian corals to cope with future ocean conditions will thus depend on their ability to fulfil their carbon requirement. However, the primary productivity of coral holobionts is limited by low nitrogen (N) availability in coral reef waters. Here, we employed CO2 seeps of Tutum Bay (Papua New Guinea) as a natural laboratory to understand how coral holobionts offset their increased energy requirements under high CO2 conditions. Our results demonstrate for the first time that under high pCO2 conditions, N assimilation pathways of Pocillopora damicornis are jointly modified. We found that diazotroph-derived N assimilation rates in the Symbiodiniaceae were significantly higher in comparison to an ambient CO2 control site, concomitant with a restructured diazotroph community and the specific prevalence of an alpha-proteobacterium. Further, corals at the high CO2 site also had increased feeding rates on picoplankton and in particular exhibited selective feeding on Synechococcus sp., known to be rich in N. Given the high abundance of picoplankton in oligotrophic waters at large, our results suggest that corals exhibiting flexible diazotrophic communities and capable of exploiting N-rich picoplankton sources to offset their increased N requirements may be able to cope better in a high pCO2 world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentine Meunier
- Centre IRD Nouméa, UMR ENTROPIE (IRD, Université de La Réunion, CNRS, Université de La Nouvelle-Calédonie, Ifremer), Nouméa, New Caledonia
| | - Laura Geissler
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Sophie Bonnet
- Aix-Marseille Université, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, Marseille, France
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Gabriela Perna
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Olivier Grosso
- Aix-Marseille Université, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, Marseille, France
| | | | - Riccardo Rodolfo-Metalpa
- Centre IRD Nouméa, UMR ENTROPIE (IRD, Université de La Réunion, CNRS, Université de La Nouvelle-Calédonie, Ifremer), Nouméa, New Caledonia
| | | | - Fanny Houlbrèque
- Centre IRD Nouméa, UMR ENTROPIE (IRD, Université de La Réunion, CNRS, Université de La Nouvelle-Calédonie, Ifremer), Nouméa, New Caledonia
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14
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El-Khaled YC, Nafeh R, Roth F, Rädecker N, Karcher DB, Jones BH, Voolstra CR, Wild C. High plasticity of nitrogen fixation and denitrification of common coral reef substrates in response to nitrate availability. Mar Pollut Bull 2021; 168:112430. [PMID: 34000709 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen cycling in coral reefs may be affected by nutrient availability, but knowledge about concentration-dependent thresholds that modulate dinitrogen fixation and denitrification is missing. We determined the effects of different nitrate concentrations (ambient, 1, 5, 10 μM nitrate addition) on both processes under two light scenarios (i.e., light and dark) using a combined acetylene assay for two common benthic reef substrates, i.e., turf algae and coral rubble. For both substrates, dinitrogen fixation rates peaked at 5 μM nitrate addition in light, whereas denitrification was highest at 10 μM nitrate addition in the dark. At 10 μm nitrate addition in the dark, a near-complete collapse of dinitrogen fixation concurrent with a 76-fold increase in denitrification observed for coral rubble, suggesting potential threshold responses linked to the nutritional state of the community. We conclude that dynamic nitrogen cycling activity may help stabilise nitrogen availability in microbial communities associated with coral reef substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuf C El-Khaled
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
| | - Rassil Nafeh
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Florian Roth
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), 23995 Thuwal, Saudi Arabia; Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden; Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), 23995 Thuwal, Saudi Arabia; Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany; Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Denis B Karcher
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany; Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science, Australian National University, ACT 2601 Canberra, Australia
| | - Burton H Jones
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), 23995 Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Christian R Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), 23995 Thuwal, Saudi Arabia; Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Christian Wild
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany
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15
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Roth F, El-Khaled YC, Karcher DB, Rädecker N, Carvalho S, Duarte CM, Silva L, Calleja ML, Morán XAG, Jones BH, Voolstra CR, Wild C. Nutrient pollution enhances productivity and framework dissolution in algae- but not in coral-dominated reef communities. Mar Pollut Bull 2021; 168:112444. [PMID: 33984578 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Ecosystem services provided by coral reefs may be susceptible to the combined effects of benthic species shifts and anthropogenic nutrient pollution, but related field studies are scarce. We thus investigated in situ how dissolved inorganic nutrient enrichment, maintained for two months, affected community-wide biogeochemical functions of intact coral- and degraded algae-dominated reef patches in the central Red Sea. Results from benthic chamber incubations revealed 87% increased gross productivity and a shift from net calcification to dissolution in algae-dominated communities after nutrient enrichment, but the same processes were unaffected by nutrients in neighboring coral communities. Both community types changed from net dissolved organic nitrogen sinks to sources, but the increase in net release was 56% higher in algae-dominated communities. Nutrient pollution may, thus, amplify the effects of community shifts on key ecosystem services of coral reefs, possibly leading to a loss of structurally complex habitats with carbonate dissolution and altered nutrient recycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Roth
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia; Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden; Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Yusuf C El-Khaled
- Marine Ecology, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Denis B Karcher
- Marine Ecology, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany; Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia; Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Susana Carvalho
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Carlos M Duarte
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia; Computational Biology Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Luis Silva
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Maria Ll Calleja
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia; Department of Climate Geochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry (MPIC), Mainz, Germany
| | - Xosé Anxelu G Morán
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Burton H Jones
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Christian R Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia; Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Christian Wild
- Marine Ecology, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
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16
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El-Khaled YC, Roth F, Rädecker N, Tilstra A, Karcher DB, Kürten B, Jones BH, Voolstra CR, Wild C. Nitrogen fixation and denitrification activity differ between coral- and algae-dominated Red Sea reefs. Sci Rep 2021; 11:11820. [PMID: 34083565 PMCID: PMC8175748 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90204-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Coral reefs experience phase shifts from coral- to algae-dominated benthic communities, which could affect the interplay between processes introducing and removing bioavailable nitrogen. However, the magnitude of such processes, i.e., dinitrogen (N2) fixation and denitrification levels, and their responses to phase shifts remain unknown in coral reefs. We assessed both processes for the dominant species of six benthic categories (hard corals, soft corals, turf algae, coral rubble, biogenic rock, and reef sands) accounting for > 98% of the benthic cover of a central Red Sea coral reef. Rates were extrapolated to the relative benthic cover of the studied organisms in co-occurring coral- and algae-dominated areas of the same reef. In general, benthic categories with high N2 fixation exhibited low denitrification activity. Extrapolated to the respective reef area, turf algae and coral rubble accounted for > 90% of overall N2 fixation, whereas corals contributed to more than half of reef denitrification. Total N2 fixation was twice as high in algae- compared to coral-dominated areas, whereas denitrification levels were similar. We conclude that algae-dominated reefs promote new nitrogen input through enhanced N2 fixation and comparatively low denitrification. The subsequent increased nitrogen availability could support net productivity, resulting in a positive feedback loop that increases the competitive advantage of algae over corals in reefs that experienced a phase shift.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuf C El-Khaled
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, 28359, Bremen, Germany.
| | - Florian Roth
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23995, Saudi Arabia
- Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm University, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23995, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Arjen Tilstra
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, 28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - Denis B Karcher
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, 28359, Bremen, Germany
- Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science, Australian National University, ACT, Canberra, 2601, Australia
| | - Benjamin Kürten
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23995, Saudi Arabia
- Project Management Jülich, Jülich Research Centre GmbH, 18069, Rostock, Germany
| | - Burton H Jones
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23995, Saudi Arabia
| | - Christian R Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23995, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Christian Wild
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, 28359, Bremen, Germany
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17
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Tilstra A, Roth F, El-Khaled YC, Pogoreutz C, Rädecker N, Voolstra CR, Wild C. Relative abundance of nitrogen cycling microbes in coral holobionts reflects environmental nitrate availability. R Soc Open Sci 2021; 8:201835. [PMID: 34109033 PMCID: PMC8170195 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.201835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Recent research suggests that nitrogen (N) cycling microbes are important for coral holobiont functioning. In particular, coral holobionts may acquire bioavailable N via prokaryotic dinitrogen (N2) fixation or remove excess N via denitrification activity. However, our understanding of environmental drivers on these processes in hospite remains limited. Employing the strong seasonality of the central Red Sea, this study assessed the effects of environmental parameters on the proportional abundances of N cycling microbes associated with the hard corals Acropora hemprichii and Stylophora pistillata. Specifically, we quantified changes in the relative ratio between nirS and nifH gene copy numbers, as a proxy for seasonal shifts in denitrification and N2 fixation potential in corals, respectively. In addition, we assessed coral tissue-associated Symbiodiniaceae cell densities and monitored environmental parameters to provide a holobiont and environmental context, respectively. While ratios of nirS to nifH gene copy numbers varied between seasons, they revealed similar seasonal patterns in both coral species, with ratios closely following patterns in environmental nitrate availability. Symbiodiniaceae cell densities aligned with environmental nitrate availability, suggesting that the seasonal shifts in nirS to nifH gene abundance ratios were probably driven by nitrate availability in the coral holobiont. Thereby, our results suggest that N cycling in coral holobionts probably adjusts to environmental conditions by increasing and/or decreasing denitrification and N2 fixation potential according to environmental nitrate availability. Microbial N cycling may, thus, extenuate the effects of changes in environmental nitrate availability on coral holobionts to support the maintenance of the coral-Symbiodiniaceae symbiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjen Tilstra
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Florian Roth
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Tvärminne Zoological Station, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Yusuf C. El-Khaled
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Claudia Pogoreutz
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christian R. Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Christian Wild
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
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18
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Lyndby NH, Rädecker N, Bessette S, Søgaard Jensen LH, Escrig S, Trampe E, Kühl M, Meibom A. Amoebocytes facilitate efficient carbon and nitrogen assimilation in the Cassiopea-Symbiodiniaceae symbiosis. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20202393. [PMID: 33323078 PMCID: PMC7779505 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The upside-down jellyfish Cassiopea engages in symbiosis with photosynthetic microalgae that facilitate uptake and recycling of inorganic nutrients. By contrast to most other symbiotic cnidarians, algal endosymbionts in Cassiopea are not restricted to the gastroderm but are found in amoebocyte cells within the mesoglea. While symbiont-bearing amoebocytes are highly abundant, their role in nutrient uptake and cycling in Cassiopea remains unknown. By combining isotopic labelling experiments with correlated scanning electron microscopy, and Nano-scale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) imaging, we quantified the anabolic assimilation of inorganic carbon and nitrogen at the subcellular level in juvenile Cassiopea medusae bell tissue. Amoebocytes were clustered near the sub-umbrella epidermis and facilitated efficient assimilation of inorganic nutrients. Photosynthetically fixed carbon was efficiently translocated between endosymbionts, amoebocytes and host epidermis at rates similar to or exceeding those observed in corals. The Cassiopea holobionts efficiently assimilated ammonium, while no nitrate assimilation was detected, possibly reflecting adaptation to highly dynamic environmental conditions of their natural habitat. The motile amoebocytes allow Cassiopea medusae to distribute their endosymbiont population to optimize access to light and nutrients, and transport nutrition between tissue areas. Amoebocytes thus play a vital role for the assimilation and translocation of nutrients in Cassiopea, providing an interesting new model for studies of metabolic interactions in photosymbiotic marine organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niclas Heidelberg Lyndby
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sandrine Bessette
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Louise Helene Søgaard Jensen
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Stéphane Escrig
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Erik Trampe
- Marine Biological Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, DK-3000 Helsingør, Denmark
| | - Michael Kühl
- Marine Biological Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, DK-3000 Helsingør, Denmark
| | - Anders Meibom
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.,Center for Advanced Surface Analysis, Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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19
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Voolstra CR, Buitrago-López C, Perna G, Cárdenas A, Hume BCC, Rädecker N, Barshis DJ. Standardized short-term acute heat stress assays resolve historical differences in coral thermotolerance across microhabitat reef sites. Glob Chang Biol 2020; 26:4328-4343. [PMID: 32567206 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Coral bleaching is one of the main drivers of reef degradation. Most corals bleach and suffer mortality at just 1-2°C above their maximum monthly mean temperatures, but some species and genotypes resist or recover better than others. Here, we conducted a series of 18-hr short-term acute heat stress assays side-by-side with a 21-day long-term heat stress experiment to assess the ability of both approaches to resolve coral thermotolerance differences reflective of in situ reef temperature thresholds. Using a suite of physiological parameters (photosynthetic efficiency, coral whitening, chlorophyll a, host protein, algal symbiont counts, and algal type association), we assessed bleaching susceptibility of Stylophora pistillata colonies from the windward/exposed and leeward/protected sites of a nearshore coral reef in the central Red Sea, which had previously shown differential mortality during a natural bleaching event. Photosynthetic efficiency was most indicative of the expected higher thermal tolerance in corals from the protected reef site, denoted by an increased retention of dark-adapted maximum quantum yields at higher temperatures. These differences were resolved using both experimental setups, as corroborated by a positive linear relationship, not observed for the other parameters. Notably, short-term acute heat stress assays resolved per-colony (genotype) differences that may have been masked by acclimation effects in the long-term experiment. Using our newly developed portable experimental system termed the Coral Bleaching Automated Stress System (CBASS), we thus highlight the potential of mobile, standardized short-term acute heat stress assays to resolve fine-scale differences in coral thermotolerance. Accordingly, such a system may be suitable for large-scale determination and complement existing approaches to identify resilient genotypes/reefs for downstream experimental examination and prioritization of reef sites for conservation/restoration. Development of such a framework is consistent with the recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences and the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program committees for new intervention and restoration strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian R Voolstra
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological BESE, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Carol Buitrago-López
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological BESE, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Gabriela Perna
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological BESE, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Anny Cárdenas
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological BESE, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Benjamin C C Hume
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological BESE, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological BESE, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Daniel J Barshis
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA
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20
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Roth F, Karcher DB, Rädecker N, Hohn S, Carvalho S, Thomson T, Saalmann F, Voolstra CR, Kürten B, Struck U, Jones BH, Wild C. High rates of carbon and dinitrogen fixation suggest a critical role of benthic pioneer communities in the energy and nutrient dynamics of coral reefs. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Florian Roth
- Red Sea Research Center King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal Saudi Arabia
- Baltic Sea Centre Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences Tvärminne Zoological Station University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - Denis B. Karcher
- Marine Ecology Faculty of Biology and Chemistry University of Bremen Bremen Germany
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Red Sea Research Center King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal Saudi Arabia
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry School of Architecture Civil and Environmental Engineering Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Sönke Hohn
- Systems Ecology Group Department of Theoretical Ecology and Modelling Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research Bremen Germany
| | - Susana Carvalho
- Red Sea Research Center King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Timothy Thomson
- Red Sea Research Center King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Franziska Saalmann
- Marine Ecology Faculty of Biology and Chemistry University of Bremen Bremen Germany
- Faculty of Science and Engineering University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Christian R. Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
| | - Benjamin Kürten
- Red Sea Research Center King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal Saudi Arabia
- Jülich Research Centre GmbHProject Management Jülich Rostock Germany
| | - Ulrich Struck
- Museum für Naturkunde Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science Berlin Germany
- Department of Earth Sciences Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Burton H. Jones
- Red Sea Research Center King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Christian Wild
- Marine Ecology Faculty of Biology and Chemistry University of Bremen Bremen Germany
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21
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Tilstra A, El-Khaled YC, Roth F, Rädecker N, Pogoreutz C, Voolstra CR, Wild C. Denitrification Aligns with N 2 Fixation in Red Sea Corals. Sci Rep 2019; 9:19460. [PMID: 31857601 PMCID: PMC6923481 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55408-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Denitrification may potentially alleviate excess nitrogen (N) availability in coral holobionts to maintain a favourable N to phosphorous ratio in the coral tissue. However, little is known about the abundance and activity of denitrifiers in the coral holobiont. The present study used the nirS marker gene as a proxy for denitrification potential along with measurements of denitrification rates in a comparative coral taxonomic framework from the Red Sea: Acropora hemprichii, Millepora dichotoma, and Pleuractis granulosa. Relative nirS gene copy numbers associated with the tissues of these common corals were assessed and compared with denitrification rates on the holobiont level. In addition, dinitrogen (N2) fixation rates, Symbiodiniaceae cell density, and oxygen evolution were assessed to provide an environmental context for denitrification. We found that relative abundances of the nirS gene were 16- and 17-fold higher in A. hemprichii compared to M. dichotoma and P. granulosa, respectively. In concordance, highest denitrification rates were measured in A. hemprichii, followed by M. dichotoma and P. granulosa. Denitrification rates were positively correlated with N2 fixation rates and Symbiodiniaceae cell densities. Our results suggest that denitrification may counterbalance the N input from N2 fixation in the coral holobiont, and we hypothesize that these processes may be limited by photosynthates released by the Symbiodiniaceae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjen Tilstra
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, 28359, Germany.
| | - Yusuf C El-Khaled
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, 28359, Germany
| | - Florian Roth
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Claudia Pogoreutz
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Christian R Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, 78464, Germany
| | - Christian Wild
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, 28359, Germany
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22
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Gegner HM, Rädecker N, Ochsenkühn M, Barreto MM, Ziegler M, Reichert J, Schubert P, Wilke T, Voolstra CR. High levels of floridoside at high salinity link osmoadaptation with bleaching susceptibility in the cnidarian-algal endosymbiosis. Biol Open 2019; 8:8/12/bio045591. [PMID: 31843766 PMCID: PMC6918757 DOI: 10.1242/bio.045591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Coral reefs are in global decline mainly due to increasing sea surface temperatures triggering coral bleaching. Recently, high salinity has been linked to increased thermotolerance and decreased bleaching in the sea anemone coral model Aiptasia. However, the underlying processes remain elusive. Using two Aiptasia host–endosymbiont pairings, we induced bleaching at different salinities and show reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) release at high salinities, suggesting a role of osmoadaptation in increased thermotolerance. A subsequent screening of osmolytes revealed that this effect was only observed in algal endosymbionts that produce 2-O-glycerol-α-D-galactopyranoside (floridoside), an osmolyte capable of scavenging ROS. This result argues for a mechanistic link between osmoadaptation and thermotolerance, mediated by ROS-scavenging osmolytes (e.g., floridoside). This sheds new light on the putative mechanisms underlying the remarkable thermotolerance of corals from water bodies with high salinity such as the Red Sea or Persian/Arabian Gulf and holds implications for coral thermotolerance under climate change. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper. Summary: Using the coral model Aiptasia, we show increased thermotolerance at high salinities, concomitant with a reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) release by algal endosymbionts. This suggests a mechanistic link between osmoadaptation and thermotolerance, mediated by ROS-scavenging osmolytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hagen M Gegner
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955, Saudi Arabia
| | - Michael Ochsenkühn
- Division of Science and Engineering, New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Marcelle M Barreto
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955, Saudi Arabia
| | - Maren Ziegler
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University, 35390 Giessen, Germany
| | - Jessica Reichert
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University, 35390 Giessen, Germany
| | - Patrick Schubert
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University, 35390 Giessen, Germany
| | - Thomas Wilke
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University, 35390 Giessen, Germany
| | - Christian R Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955, Saudi Arabia .,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
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23
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Pernice M, Raina JB, Rädecker N, Cárdenas A, Pogoreutz C, Voolstra CR. Down to the bone: the role of overlooked endolithic microbiomes in reef coral health. ISME J 2019; 14:325-334. [PMID: 31690886 PMCID: PMC6976677 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-019-0548-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Revised: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Reef-building corals harbour an astonishing diversity of microorganisms, including endosymbiotic microalgae, bacteria, archaea, and fungi. The metabolic interactions within this symbiotic consortium are fundamental to the ecological success of corals and the unique productivity of coral reef ecosystems. Over the last two decades, scientific efforts have been primarily channelled into dissecting the symbioses occurring in coral tissues. Although easily accessible, this compartment is only 2–3 mm thick, whereas the underlying calcium carbonate skeleton occupies the vast internal volume of corals. Far from being devoid of life, the skeleton harbours a wide array of algae, endolithic fungi, heterotrophic bacteria, and other boring eukaryotes, often forming distinct bands visible to the bare eye. Some of the critical functions of these endolithic microorganisms in coral health, such as nutrient cycling and metabolite transfer, which could enable the survival of corals during thermal stress, have long been demonstrated. In addition, some of these microorganisms can dissolve calcium carbonate, weakening the coral skeleton and therefore may play a major role in reef erosion. Yet, experimental data are wanting due to methodological limitations. Recent technological and conceptual advances now allow us to tease apart the complex physical, ecological, and chemical interactions at the heart of coral endolithic microbial communities. These new capabilities have resulted in an excellent body of research and provide an exciting outlook to further address the functional microbial ecology of the “overlooked” coral skeleton.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Pernice
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jean-Baptiste Raina
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Anny Cárdenas
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Claudia Pogoreutz
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Christian R Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia. .,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany.
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Ziegler M, Roik A, Röthig T, Wild C, Rädecker N, Bouwmeester J, Voolstra CR. Ecophysiology of Reef-Building Corals in the Red Sea. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-05802-9_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Rädecker N, Chen JE, Pogoreutz C, Herrera M, Aranda M, Voolstra CR. Nutrient stress arrests tentacle growth in the coral model Aiptasia. Symbiosis 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s13199-019-00603-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Roth F, Wild C, Carvalho S, Rädecker N, Voolstra CR, Kürten B, Anlauf H, El‐Khaled YC, Carolan R, Jones BH. An in situ approach for measuring biogeochemical fluxes in structurally complex benthic communities. Methods Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Florian Roth
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)Red Sea Research Center Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Christian Wild
- Faculty of Biology and ChemistryMarine Ecology DepartmentUniversity of Bremen Bremen Germany
| | - Susana Carvalho
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)Red Sea Research Center Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Nils Rädecker
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)Red Sea Research Center Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Christian R. Voolstra
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)Red Sea Research Center Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Benjamin Kürten
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)Red Sea Research Center Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Holger Anlauf
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)Red Sea Research Center Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Yusuf C. El‐Khaled
- Faculty of Biology and ChemistryMarine Ecology DepartmentUniversity of Bremen Bremen Germany
| | - Ronan Carolan
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)Core Labs Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Burton H. Jones
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)Red Sea Research Center Thuwal Saudi Arabia
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Rädecker N, Raina JB, Pernice M, Perna G, Guagliardo P, Kilburn MR, Aranda M, Voolstra CR. Corrigendum: Using Aiptasia as a Model to Study Metabolic Interactions in Cnidarian- Symbiodinium Symbioses. Front Physiol 2018; 9:449. [PMID: 29795808 PMCID: PMC5962919 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.00449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 04/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nils Rädecker
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jean-Baptiste Raina
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Mathieu Pernice
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Gabriela Perna
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Paul Guagliardo
- Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Matt R Kilburn
- Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Manuel Aranda
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Christian R Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
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Rädecker N, Raina JB, Pernice M, Perna G, Guagliardo P, Kilburn MR, Aranda M, Voolstra CR. Using Aiptasia as a Model to Study Metabolic Interactions in Cnidarian- Symbiodinium Symbioses. Front Physiol 2018; 9:214. [PMID: 29615919 PMCID: PMC5864895 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.00214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2017] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The symbiosis between cnidarian hosts and microalgae of the genus Symbiodinium provides the foundation of coral reefs in oligotrophic waters. Understanding the nutrient-exchange between these partners is key to identifying the fundamental mechanisms behind this symbiosis, yet has proven difficult given the endosymbiotic nature of this relationship. In this study, we investigated the respective contribution of host and symbiont to carbon and nitrogen assimilation in the coral model anemone Aiptaisa. For this, we combined traditional measurements with nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) and stable isotope labeling to investigate patterns of nutrient uptake and translocation both at the organismal scale and at the cellular scale. Our results show that the rate of carbon and nitrogen assimilation in Aiptasia depends on the identity of the host and the symbiont. NanoSIMS analysis confirmed that both host and symbiont incorporated carbon and nitrogen into their cells, implying a rapid uptake and cycling of nutrients in this symbiotic relationship. Gross carbon fixation was highest in Aiptasia associated with their native Symbiodinium communities. However, differences in fixation rates were only reflected in the δ13C enrichment of the cnidarian host, whereas the algal symbiont showed stable enrichment levels regardless of host identity. Thereby, our results point toward a "selfish" character of the cnidarian-Symbiodinium association in which both partners directly compete for available resources. Consequently, this symbiosis may be inherently instable and highly susceptible to environmental change. While questions remain regarding the underlying cellular controls of nutrient exchange and the nature of metabolites involved, the approach outlined in this study constitutes a powerful toolset to address these questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Rädecker
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jean-Baptiste Raina
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Mathieu Pernice
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Gabriela Perna
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Paul Guagliardo
- Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Matt R Kilburn
- Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Manuel Aranda
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Christian R Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
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Pogoreutz C, Rädecker N, Cárdenas A, Gärdes A, Wild C, Voolstra CR. Dominance of Endozoicomonas bacteria throughout coral bleaching and mortality suggests structural inflexibility of the Pocillopora verrucosa microbiome. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:2240-2252. [PMID: 29468040 PMCID: PMC5817147 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2017] [Revised: 12/11/2017] [Accepted: 12/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The importance of Symbiodinium algal endosymbionts and a diverse suite of bacteria for coral holobiont health and functioning are widely acknowledged. Yet, we know surprisingly little about microbial community dynamics and the stability of host-microbe associations under adverse environmental conditions. To gain insight into the stability of coral host-microbe associations and holobiont structure, we assessed changes in the community structure of Symbiodinium and bacteria associated with the coral Pocillopora verrucosa under excess organic nutrient conditions. Pocillopora-associated microbial communities were monitored over 14 days in two independent experiments. We assessed the effect of excess dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and excess dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Exposure to excess nutrients rapidly affected coral health, resulting in two distinct stress phenotypes: coral bleaching under excess DOC and severe tissue sloughing (>90% tissue loss resulting in host mortality) under excess DON. These phenotypes were accompanied by structural changes in the Symbiodinium community. In contrast, the associated bacterial community remained remarkably stable and was dominated by two Endozoicomonas phylotypes, comprising on average 90% of 16S rRNA gene sequences. This dominance of Endozoicomonas even under conditions of coral bleaching and mortality suggests the bacterial community of P. verrucosa may be rather inflexible and thereby unable to respond or acclimatize to rapid changes in the environment, contrary to what was previously observed in other corals. In this light, our results suggest that coral holobionts might occupy structural landscapes ranging from a highly flexible to a rather inflexible composition with consequences for their ability to respond to environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Pogoreutz
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environment Science and Engineering Division (BESE)King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)ThuwalSaudi Arabia
- Marine Ecology GroupFaculty of Biology and ChemistryUniversity of BremenBremenGermany
- Coral Reef Ecology GroupLeibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT)BremenGermany
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environment Science and Engineering Division (BESE)King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)ThuwalSaudi Arabia
| | - Anny Cárdenas
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environment Science and Engineering Division (BESE)King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)ThuwalSaudi Arabia
- Tropical Marine Microbiology GroupLeibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT)BremenGermany
| | - Astrid Gärdes
- Tropical Marine Microbiology GroupLeibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT)BremenGermany
| | - Christian Wild
- Marine Ecology GroupFaculty of Biology and ChemistryUniversity of BremenBremenGermany
- Coral Reef Ecology GroupLeibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT)BremenGermany
| | - Christian R. Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environment Science and Engineering Division (BESE)King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)ThuwalSaudi Arabia
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Abstract
The endosymbiosis between dinoflagellate algae of the genus Symbiodinium and stony corals provides the foundation of coral reef ecosystems. Coral bleaching, the expulsion of endosymbionts from the coral host tissue as a consequence of heat or light stress, poses a threat to reef ecosystem functioning on a global scale. Hence, a better understanding of the factors contributing to heat stress susceptibility and tolerance is needed. In this regard, some of the most thermotolerant corals live in particularly saline habitats, but possible effects of high salinity on thermotolerance in corals are anecdotal. Here we test the hypothesis that high salinity may lead to increased thermotolerance. We conducted a heat stress experiment at low, intermediate, and high salinities using a set of host-endosymbiont combinations of the coral model Aiptasia. As expected, all host-endosymbiont combinations showed reduced photosynthetic efficiency and endosymbiont loss during heat stress, but the severity of bleaching was significantly reduced with increasing salinities for one of the host-endosymbiont combinations. Our results show that higher salinities can convey increased thermotolerance in Aiptasia, although this effect seems to be dependent on the particular host strain and/or associated symbiont type. This finding may help explain the extraordinarily high thermotolerance of corals in high salinity environments, such as the Red Sea and the Persian/Arabian Gulf, and provides novel insight regarding factors that contribute to thermotolerance. Since our results are based on a salinity effect in symbiotic sea anemones, it remains to be determined whether this salinity effect can also be observed in stony corals. Summary: High salinity can be a factor contributing to increased cnidarian thermal tolerance, as indicated by reduced algal endosymbiont loss and reduced photosynthetic impairment in the sea anemone Aiptasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hagen M Gegner
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Maren Ziegler
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Carol Buitrago-López
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Manuel Aranda
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Christian R Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
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Cárdenas A, Neave MJ, Haroon MF, Pogoreutz C, Rädecker N, Wild C, Gärdes A, Voolstra CR. Excess labile carbon promotes the expression of virulence factors in coral reef bacterioplankton. ISME J 2017; 12:59-76. [PMID: 28895945 PMCID: PMC5739002 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2017.142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Revised: 07/23/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Coastal pollution and algal cover are increasing on many coral reefs, resulting in higher dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations. High DOC concentrations strongly affect microbial activity in reef waters and select for copiotrophic, often potentially virulent microbial populations. High DOC concentrations on coral reefs are also hypothesized to be a determinant for switching microbial lifestyles from commensal to pathogenic, thereby contributing to coral reef degradation, but evidence is missing. In this study, we conducted ex situ incubations to assess gene expression of planktonic microbial populations under elevated concentrations of naturally abundant monosaccharides (glucose, galactose, mannose, and xylose) in algal exudates and sewage inflows. We assembled 27 near-complete (>70%) microbial genomes through metagenomic sequencing and determined associated expression patterns through metatranscriptomic sequencing. Differential gene expression analysis revealed a shift in the central carbohydrate metabolism and the induction of metalloproteases, siderophores, and toxins in Alteromonas, Erythrobacter, Oceanicola, and Alcanivorax populations. Sugar-specific induction of virulence factors suggests a mechanistic link for the switch from a commensal to a pathogenic lifestyle, particularly relevant during increased algal cover and human-derived pollution on coral reefs. Although an explicit test remains to be performed, our data support the hypothesis that increased availability of specific sugars changes net microbial community activity in ways that increase the emergence and abundance of opportunistic pathogens, potentially contributing to coral reef degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anny Cárdenas
- Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology (ZMT), Bremen, Germany.,Max Plank Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany.,Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Matthew J Neave
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohamed Fauzi Haroon
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Claudia Pogoreutz
- Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology (ZMT), Bremen, Germany.,Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.,Marine Ecology Group, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Germany
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.,Marine Ecology Group, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Germany
| | - Christian Wild
- Marine Ecology Group, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Germany
| | - Astrid Gärdes
- Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology (ZMT), Bremen, Germany
| | - Christian R Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
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Pogoreutz C, Rädecker N, Cárdenas A, Gärdes A, Voolstra CR, Wild C. Sugar enrichment provides evidence for a role of nitrogen fixation in coral bleaching. Glob Chang Biol 2017; 23:3838-3848. [PMID: 28429531 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2016] [Revised: 03/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The disruption of the coral-algae symbiosis (coral bleaching) due to rising sea surface temperatures has become an unprecedented global threat to coral reefs. Despite decades of research, our ability to manage mass bleaching events remains hampered by an incomplete mechanistic understanding of the processes involved. In this study, we induced a coral bleaching phenotype in the absence of heat and light stress by adding sugars. The sugar addition resulted in coral symbiotic breakdown accompanied by a fourfold increase of coral-associated microbial nitrogen fixation. Concomitantly, increased N:P ratios by the coral host and algal symbionts suggest excess availability of nitrogen and a disruption of the nitrogen limitation within the coral holobiont. As nitrogen fixation is similarly stimulated in ocean warming scenarios, here we propose a refined coral bleaching model integrating the cascading effects of stimulated microbial nitrogen fixation. This model highlights the putative role of nitrogen-fixing microbes in coral holobiont functioning and breakdown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Pogoreutz
- Coral Reef Ecology Group (CORE), Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry (FB 2), University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- Department of Ecology, Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology, Bremen, Germany
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Coral Reef Ecology Group (CORE), Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry (FB 2), University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Anny Cárdenas
- Coral Reef Ecology Group (CORE), Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry (FB 2), University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biogeochemistry, Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Astrid Gärdes
- Department of Biogeochemistry, Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Christian R Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Christian Wild
- Coral Reef Ecology Group (CORE), Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry (FB 2), University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- Department of Ecology, Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology, Bremen, Germany
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Rädecker N, Pogoreutz C, Ziegler M, Ashok A, Barreto MM, Chaidez V, Grupstra CGB, Ng YM, Perna G, Aranda M, Voolstra CR. Assessing the effects of iron enrichment across holobiont compartments reveals reduced microbial nitrogen fixation in the Red Sea coral Pocillopora verrucosa. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:6614-6621. [PMID: 28861262 PMCID: PMC5574852 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Revised: 07/07/2017] [Accepted: 07/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The productivity of coral reefs in oligotrophic tropical waters is sustained by an efficient uptake and recycling of nutrients. In reef-building corals, the engineers of these ecosystems, this nutrient recycling is facilitated by a constant exchange of nutrients between the animal host and endosymbiotic photosynthetic dinoflagellates (zooxanthellae), bacteria, and other microbes. Due to the complex interactions in this so-called coral holobiont, it has proven difficult to understand the environmental limitations of productivity in corals. Among others, the micronutrient iron has been proposed to limit primary productivity due to its essential role in photosynthesis and bacterial processes. Here, we tested the effect of iron enrichment on the physiology of the coral Pocillopora verrucosa from the central Red Sea during a 12-day experiment. Contrary to previous reports, we did not see an increase in zooxanthellae population density or gross photosynthesis. Conversely, respiration rates were significantly increased, and microbial nitrogen fixation was significantly decreased. Taken together, our data suggest that iron is not a limiting factor of primary productivity in Red Sea corals. Rather, increased metabolic demands in response to iron enrichment, as evidenced by increased respiration rates, may reduce carbon (i.e., energy) availability in the coral holobiont, resulting in reduced microbial nitrogen fixation. This decrease in nitrogen supply in turn may exacerbate the limitation of other nutrients, creating a negative feedback loop. Thereby, our results highlight that the effects of iron enrichment appear to be strongly dependent on local environmental conditions and ultimately may depend on the availability of other nutrients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Rädecker
- Red Sea Research Center Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Claudia Pogoreutz
- Red Sea Research Center Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Maren Ziegler
- Red Sea Research Center Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Ananya Ashok
- Red Sea Research Center Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Marcelle M Barreto
- Red Sea Research Center Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Veronica Chaidez
- Red Sea Research Center Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Carsten G B Grupstra
- Red Sea Research Center Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Yi Mei Ng
- Red Sea Research Center Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Gabriela Perna
- Red Sea Research Center Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Manuel Aranda
- Red Sea Research Center Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Christian R Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal Saudi Arabia
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Pogoreutz C, Rädecker N, Cárdenas A, Gärdes A, Wild C, Voolstra CR. Nitrogen Fixation Aligns with nifH Abundance and Expression in Two Coral Trophic Functional Groups. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:1187. [PMID: 28702013 PMCID: PMC5487474 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 06/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial nitrogen fixation (diazotrophy) is a functional trait widely associated with tropical reef-building (scleractinian) corals. While the integral role of nitrogen fixation in coral nutrient dynamics is recognized, its ecological significance across different coral functional groups remains yet to be evaluated. Here we set out to compare molecular and physiological patterns of diazotrophy (i.e., nifH gene abundance and expression as well as nitrogen fixation rates) in two coral families with contrasting trophic strategies: highly heterotrophic, free-living members of the family Fungiidae (Pleuractis granulosa, Ctenactis echinata), and mostly autotrophic coral holobionts with low heterotrophic capacity (Pocilloporidae: Pocillopora verrucosa, Stylophora pistillata). The Fungiidae exhibited low diazotroph abundance (based on nifH gene copy numbers) and activity (based on nifH gene expression and the absence of detectable nitrogen fixation rates). In contrast, the mostly autotrophic Pocilloporidae exhibited nifH gene copy numbers and gene expression two orders of magnitude higher than in the Fungiidae, which coincided with detectable nitrogen fixation activity. Based on these data, we suggest that nitrogen fixation compensates for the low heterotrophic nitrogen uptake in autotrophic corals. Consequently, the ecological importance of diazotrophy in coral holobionts may be determined by the trophic functional group of the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Pogoreutz
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST),Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.,Marine Ecology and Coral Reef Ecology Group, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of BremenBremen, Germany.,Department of Ecology, Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine ResearchBremen, Germany
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST),Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.,Marine Ecology and Coral Reef Ecology Group, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of BremenBremen, Germany
| | - Anny Cárdenas
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST),Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.,Tropical Marine Microbiology Group, Department of Biogeochemistry and Geology, Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine ResearchBremen, Germany
| | - Astrid Gärdes
- Tropical Marine Microbiology Group, Department of Biogeochemistry and Geology, Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine ResearchBremen, Germany
| | - Christian Wild
- Marine Ecology and Coral Reef Ecology Group, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of BremenBremen, Germany
| | - Christian R Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST),Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
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Mies M, Sumida PYG, Rädecker N, Voolstra CR. Marine Invertebrate Larvae Associated with Symbiodinium: A Mutualism from the Start? Front Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2017.00056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Rädecker N, Pogoreutz C, Voolstra CR, Wiedenmann J, Wild C. Nitrogen cycling in corals: the key to understanding holobiont functioning? Trends Microbiol 2015; 23:490-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2015.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 233] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2015] [Revised: 03/08/2015] [Accepted: 03/18/2015] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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