Microbiome variability in invasive coral (Tubastraea aurea) in response to diverse environmental stressors
The Indo-Pacific native azooxanthellate Tubastraea (Scleractinia) has been identified as an invasive marine species with substantial environmental, economic, and social implications worldwide. Despite their exceptional invasive capacity, our understanding of the role of their symbiotic microbiota in...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1234137/full |
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| author | Gowri Krishna Girija Li-Chun Tseng Yu-Ling Chen Pei-Jie Meng Jiang-Shiou Hwang Jiang-Shiou Hwang Ying-Ning Ho Ying-Ning Ho |
| author_facet | Gowri Krishna Girija Li-Chun Tseng Yu-Ling Chen Pei-Jie Meng Jiang-Shiou Hwang Jiang-Shiou Hwang Ying-Ning Ho Ying-Ning Ho |
| author_sort | Gowri Krishna Girija |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Indo-Pacific native azooxanthellate Tubastraea (Scleractinia) has been identified as an invasive marine species with substantial environmental, economic, and social implications worldwide. Despite their exceptional invasive capacity, our understanding of the role of their symbiotic microbiota in host resilience, as well as their response to ambient environmental conditions, remains limited. In this study, we analyzed the symbiotic bacterial communities found in the tissue and mucus of Tubastraea aurea from different habitats along the northeastern coast of Taiwan. These habitats included two extreme sites (a hydrothermal vent [HV] and a copper mining [CM] site) and two normal environments (inlet of a nuclear power plant [NPP] and a habitat adjacent to a conservation zone [CZ]). We employed full-length 16S rRNA sequencing (~1.5 kilobases) to determine coral-associated microbiome responses to local environments. Results showed significant variations in bacterial communities between corals from extreme and normal habitats. Chemoheterotrophic Endozoicomonas bacteria dominated the tissue samples from the HV and CM sites, whereas phototrophic Synechococcus cyanobacteria dominated the NPP and CZ sites. Hydrographic parameters such as pH, salinity, biological oxygen demand, turbidity, and concentration of heavy metals (e.g., Cu and Fe) increased at the HV and CM sites compared with those at the NPP and CZ sites. This difference created more stressful conditions at the HV and CM sites. The microbial assemblages associated with T. aurea exhibited a prevalence of diverse symbiotic bacteria that could potentially contribute to the host’s ability to adapt and survive in challenging ecological conditions. Therefore, these advantageous microorganisms, along with the host’s physiological mechanisms of dispersion, range expansion, and invasiveness, may enhance the resilience and ability of T. aurea to thrive in extreme environments. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T18:28:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c16d6ac93f7d4ea88e74ae94efac0c52 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T18:28:16Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-c16d6ac93f7d4ea88e74ae94efac0c522023-10-13T14:52:32ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452023-10-011010.3389/fmars.2023.12341371234137Microbiome variability in invasive coral (Tubastraea aurea) in response to diverse environmental stressorsGowri Krishna Girija0Li-Chun Tseng1Yu-Ling Chen2Pei-Jie Meng3Jiang-Shiou Hwang4Jiang-Shiou Hwang5Ying-Ning Ho6Ying-Ning Ho7Institute of Marine Biology, College of Life Science, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, TaiwanInstitute of Marine Biology, College of Life Science, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, TaiwanInstitute of Marine Biology, College of Life Science, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, TaiwanGraduate Institute of Marine Biology, National Dong Hwa University, Pingtung, TaiwanInstitute of Marine Biology, College of Life Science, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, TaiwanCentre of Excellence for the Oceans, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, TaiwanInstitute of Marine Biology, College of Life Science, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, TaiwanCentre of Excellence for the Oceans, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, TaiwanThe Indo-Pacific native azooxanthellate Tubastraea (Scleractinia) has been identified as an invasive marine species with substantial environmental, economic, and social implications worldwide. Despite their exceptional invasive capacity, our understanding of the role of their symbiotic microbiota in host resilience, as well as their response to ambient environmental conditions, remains limited. In this study, we analyzed the symbiotic bacterial communities found in the tissue and mucus of Tubastraea aurea from different habitats along the northeastern coast of Taiwan. These habitats included two extreme sites (a hydrothermal vent [HV] and a copper mining [CM] site) and two normal environments (inlet of a nuclear power plant [NPP] and a habitat adjacent to a conservation zone [CZ]). We employed full-length 16S rRNA sequencing (~1.5 kilobases) to determine coral-associated microbiome responses to local environments. Results showed significant variations in bacterial communities between corals from extreme and normal habitats. Chemoheterotrophic Endozoicomonas bacteria dominated the tissue samples from the HV and CM sites, whereas phototrophic Synechococcus cyanobacteria dominated the NPP and CZ sites. Hydrographic parameters such as pH, salinity, biological oxygen demand, turbidity, and concentration of heavy metals (e.g., Cu and Fe) increased at the HV and CM sites compared with those at the NPP and CZ sites. This difference created more stressful conditions at the HV and CM sites. The microbial assemblages associated with T. aurea exhibited a prevalence of diverse symbiotic bacteria that could potentially contribute to the host’s ability to adapt and survive in challenging ecological conditions. Therefore, these advantageous microorganisms, along with the host’s physiological mechanisms of dispersion, range expansion, and invasiveness, may enhance the resilience and ability of T. aurea to thrive in extreme environments.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1234137/fullcopper pollutionhydrothermal ventsulfuracidificationfunctional groupOxford Nanopore Technologies |
| spellingShingle | Gowri Krishna Girija Li-Chun Tseng Yu-Ling Chen Pei-Jie Meng Jiang-Shiou Hwang Jiang-Shiou Hwang Ying-Ning Ho Ying-Ning Ho Microbiome variability in invasive coral (Tubastraea aurea) in response to diverse environmental stressors Frontiers in Marine Science copper pollution hydrothermal vent sulfur acidification functional group Oxford Nanopore Technologies |
| title | Microbiome variability in invasive coral (Tubastraea aurea) in response to diverse environmental stressors |
| title_full | Microbiome variability in invasive coral (Tubastraea aurea) in response to diverse environmental stressors |
| title_fullStr | Microbiome variability in invasive coral (Tubastraea aurea) in response to diverse environmental stressors |
| title_full_unstemmed | Microbiome variability in invasive coral (Tubastraea aurea) in response to diverse environmental stressors |
| title_short | Microbiome variability in invasive coral (Tubastraea aurea) in response to diverse environmental stressors |
| title_sort | microbiome variability in invasive coral tubastraea aurea in response to diverse environmental stressors |
| topic | copper pollution hydrothermal vent sulfur acidification functional group Oxford Nanopore Technologies |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1234137/full |
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