Biological oxygen demand optode analysis of coral reef-associated microbial communities exposed to algal exudates
Algae-derived dissolved organic matter has been hypothesized to induce mortality of reef building corals. One proposed killing mechanism is a zone of hypoxia created by rapidly growing microbes. To investigate this hypothesis, biological oxygen demand (BOD) optodes were used to quantify the change i...
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PeerJ Inc.
2013-07-01
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| Online Access: | https://peerj.com/articles/107.pdf |
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| author | AK Gregg M Hatay AF Haas NL Robinett K Barott MJA Vermeij KL Marhaver P Meirelles F Thompson F Rohwer |
| author_facet | AK Gregg M Hatay AF Haas NL Robinett K Barott MJA Vermeij KL Marhaver P Meirelles F Thompson F Rohwer |
| author_sort | AK Gregg |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Algae-derived dissolved organic matter has been hypothesized to induce mortality of reef building corals. One proposed killing mechanism is a zone of hypoxia created by rapidly growing microbes. To investigate this hypothesis, biological oxygen demand (BOD) optodes were used to quantify the change in oxygen concentrations of microbial communities following exposure to exudates generated by turf algae and crustose coralline algae (CCA). BOD optodes were embedded with microbial communities cultured from Montastraea annularis and Mussismilia hispida, and respiration was measured during exposure to turf and CCA exudates. The oxygen concentrations along the optodes were visualized with a low-cost Submersible Oxygen Optode Recorder (SOOpR) system. With this system we observed that exposure to exudates derived from turf algae stimulated higher oxygen drawdown by the coral-associated bacteria than CCA exudates or seawater controls. Furthermore, in both turf and CCA exudate treatments, all microbial communities (coral-, algae-associated and pelagic) contributed significantly to the observed oxygen drawdown. This suggests that the driving factor for elevated oxygen consumption rates is the source of exudates rather than the initially introduced microbial community. Our results demonstrate that exudates from turf algae may contribute to hypoxia-induced coral stress in two different coral genera as a result of increased biological oxygen demand of the local microbial community. Additionally, the SOOpR system developed here can be applied to measure the BOD of any culturable microbe or microbial community. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:30:58Z |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2167-8359 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:30:58Z |
| publishDate | 2013-07-01 |
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| spelling | doaj.art-5a9b7742a0b2477f8936691bb191b6412023-12-03T11:05:51ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592013-07-011e10710.7717/peerj.107107Biological oxygen demand optode analysis of coral reef-associated microbial communities exposed to algal exudatesAK Gregg0M Hatay1AF Haas2NL Robinett3K Barott4MJA Vermeij5KL Marhaver6P Meirelles7F Thompson8F Rohwer9Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USADepartment of Physics, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USADepartment of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USADepartment of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USAScripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USACaribbean Research and Management of Biodiversity (CARMABI), Willemstad, CuraçaoCaribbean Research and Management of Biodiversity (CARMABI), Willemstad, CuraçaoLaboratory of Microbiology, Institute of Biology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilLaboratory of Microbiology, Institute of Biology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilDepartment of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USAAlgae-derived dissolved organic matter has been hypothesized to induce mortality of reef building corals. One proposed killing mechanism is a zone of hypoxia created by rapidly growing microbes. To investigate this hypothesis, biological oxygen demand (BOD) optodes were used to quantify the change in oxygen concentrations of microbial communities following exposure to exudates generated by turf algae and crustose coralline algae (CCA). BOD optodes were embedded with microbial communities cultured from Montastraea annularis and Mussismilia hispida, and respiration was measured during exposure to turf and CCA exudates. The oxygen concentrations along the optodes were visualized with a low-cost Submersible Oxygen Optode Recorder (SOOpR) system. With this system we observed that exposure to exudates derived from turf algae stimulated higher oxygen drawdown by the coral-associated bacteria than CCA exudates or seawater controls. Furthermore, in both turf and CCA exudate treatments, all microbial communities (coral-, algae-associated and pelagic) contributed significantly to the observed oxygen drawdown. This suggests that the driving factor for elevated oxygen consumption rates is the source of exudates rather than the initially introduced microbial community. Our results demonstrate that exudates from turf algae may contribute to hypoxia-induced coral stress in two different coral genera as a result of increased biological oxygen demand of the local microbial community. Additionally, the SOOpR system developed here can be applied to measure the BOD of any culturable microbe or microbial community.https://peerj.com/articles/107.pdfOptodeBiological oxygen demandCoralDOCCoral-algal interactionBacteria |
| spellingShingle | AK Gregg M Hatay AF Haas NL Robinett K Barott MJA Vermeij KL Marhaver P Meirelles F Thompson F Rohwer Biological oxygen demand optode analysis of coral reef-associated microbial communities exposed to algal exudates PeerJ Optode Biological oxygen demand Coral DOC Coral-algal interaction Bacteria |
| title | Biological oxygen demand optode analysis of coral reef-associated microbial communities exposed to algal exudates |
| title_full | Biological oxygen demand optode analysis of coral reef-associated microbial communities exposed to algal exudates |
| title_fullStr | Biological oxygen demand optode analysis of coral reef-associated microbial communities exposed to algal exudates |
| title_full_unstemmed | Biological oxygen demand optode analysis of coral reef-associated microbial communities exposed to algal exudates |
| title_short | Biological oxygen demand optode analysis of coral reef-associated microbial communities exposed to algal exudates |
| title_sort | biological oxygen demand optode analysis of coral reef associated microbial communities exposed to algal exudates |
| topic | Optode Biological oxygen demand Coral DOC Coral-algal interaction Bacteria |
| url | https://peerj.com/articles/107.pdf |
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