A reciprocal transplant experiment sheds new light on a classic marine seagrass-algal symbiosis and suggests influence of epiphytic symbiont on seagrass microbiota

O’Connor, Mary I.; Griffiths, Gwendolyn; Sanders‐Smith, Rhea; Hessing‐Lewis, Margot; Davis, Katharine M.; Forbes, Coreen; Olson, Angeleen M.; Prentice, Carolyn; Parfrey, Laura Wegener

doi:10.1016/j.aquabot.2022.103511

Cited by 8 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…Research indicates a complex and intimate interaction between plants and their associated microorganisms, whether in the rhizosphere microbiome ( Gabriel Nuto et al., 2023 ; Tang et al., 2023 ) or the phyllosphere microbiome ( Lehnen et al., 2016 ; Ettinger et al., 2017 ). Seagrasses are no exception, as changes in the structure and diversity of attached microbial communities, along with their responses to the environment, significantly impact the health, growth, and functions of seagrasses ( Chen et al., 2022 ; O’Connor et al., 2022 ). For instance, alterations in rhizosphere microbial communities play a pivotal role in the successful transplantation of seagrasses ( Christiaen et al., 2013 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Taxonomic and functional β-diversity patterns reveal stochastic assembly rules in microbial communities of seagrass beds

Niu,

Ren,

et al. 2024

Front. Plant Sci.

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Microorganisms are important members of seagrass bed ecosystems and play a crucial role in maintaining the health of seagrasses and the ecological functions of the ecosystem. In this study, we systematically quantified the assembly processes of microbial communities in fragmented seagrass beds and examined their correlation with environmental factors. Concurrently, we explored the relative contributions of species replacement and richness differences to the taxonomic and functional β-diversity of microbial communities, investigated the potential interrelation between these components, and assessed the explanatory power of environmental factors. The results suggest that stochastic processes dominate community assembly. Taxonomic β-diversity differences are governed by species replacement, while for functional β-diversity, the contribution of richness differences slightly outweighs that of replacement processes. A weak but significant correlation (p < 0.05) exists between the two components of β-diversity in taxonomy and functionality, with almost no observed significant correlation with environmental factors. This implies significant differences in taxonomy, but functional convergence and redundancy within microbial communities. Environmental factors are insufficient to explain the β-diversity differences. In conclusion, the assembly of microbial communities in fragmented seagrass beds is governed by stochastic processes. The patterns of taxonomic and functional β-diversity provide new insights and evidence for a better understanding of these stochastic assembly rules. This has important implications for the conservation and management of fragmented seagrass beds.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Taxonomic and functional β-diversity patterns reveal stochastic assembly rules in microbial communities of seagrass beds

Niu,

Ren,

et al. 2024

Front. Plant Sci.

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“…Matched seasonal dynamics and bottom-up control of epiphytes and mesograzers may be also at play ( Fong et al., 2000 ; O’Connor et al., 2022 ). High currents in the study area likely contribute to the persistence of S. naiadum , as the constant replenishment of water can supply plentiful nutrients to both seagrass and epiphytes, and maintains a low turbidity water column which reduces competition for light ( O’Connor et al., 2022 ). Our inference of kelp's role in structuring the food web is also limited by the observational nature of our study data.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Grazing preference and isotopic contributions of kelp to Zostera marina mesograzers

et al. 2022

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In seagrass food webs, small invertebrate mesograzers often exert top-down control on algal epiphytes growing on seagrass blades, which in turn releases the seagrass from competition for light and nutrients. Yet, nearshore habitat boundaries are permeable, and allochthonous subsidies can provide alternative food sources to in-situ production in seagrass meadows, which may in turn alter mesograzer-epiphyte interactions. We examined the contribution of allochthonous kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana), autochthonous epiphytic macroalgal (Smithora naiadum), Ulva lactuca, and seagrass production to mesograzer diets in a subtidal Zostera marina (eelgrass) meadow. In both choice feeding experiments and isotopic analysis, mesograzer diets revealed a preference for allochthonous N. luetkeana over Z. marina, S. naiadum, and U. lactuca. Notably, Idotea resecata showed an ~20x greater consumption rate for N. luetkeana in feeding experiments over other macrophytes. In the meadow, we found a positive relationship between epiphytic S. naiadum and gammarid amphipod biomass suggesting weak top-down control on the S. naiadum biomass. Epiphyte biomass may be driven by bottom-up factors such as environmental conditions, or the availability and preference of allochthonous kelp, though further work is needed to disentangle these interactions. Additionally, we found that gammarid and caprellid amphipod biomass were positively influenced by adjacency to kelp at seagrass meadow edges. Our findings suggest that N. luetkeana kelp subsidies are important to the diets of mesograzers in Z. marina meadows. Spatial planning and management of marine areas should consider trophic linkages between kelp and eelgrass habitats as a critical seascape feature if the goal is to conserve nearshore food web structure and function.

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“…For example, the composition of the eelgrass leaf microbiome is variable at the meadow scale and may be due to disease prevalence, temperature, and geography (Beatty et al, 2022). Other studies find variation in the eelgrass microbiome associated with geography (Adamczyk et al, 2022;Bengtsson et al, 2017;Sanders-Smith et al, 2020) and epiphytic algae (O'Connor et al, 2022).…”

Section: Microbiome Composition Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Plant‐associated microbes can improve host growth, health, and resilience (Ford & King, 2016; Trivedi et al, 2020; Turner et al, 2013). Microbiomes also serve as a first line of defence against pathogens, opportunistic bacteria, fouling, and grazing (Inaba et al, 2017; O'Connor et al, 2022; Trivedi et al, 2020). Even on land, the role of plant microbiomes in pathogen defence has been tested against only some types of pathogens, such as bacteria, oomycetes, and fungi (Bais et al, 2004; Berg & Koskella, 2018; Carisse et al, 2003; Chen et al, 2018), though, few manipulative experiments test the role of plant‐associated bacteria in defence against diverse disease agents.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Manipulation of the seagrass‐associated microbiome reduces disease severity

Graham,

Adamczyk,

Schenk

et al. 2024

Environmental Microbiology

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Host‐associated microbes influence host health and function and can be a first line of defence against infections. While research increasingly shows that terrestrial plant microbiomes contribute to bacterial, fungal, and oomycete disease resistance, no comparable experimental work has investigated marine plant microbiomes or more diverse disease agents. We test the hypothesis that the eelgrass (Zostera marina) leaf microbiome increases resistance to seagrass wasting disease. From field eelgrass with paired diseased and asymptomatic tissue, 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing revealed that bacterial composition and richness varied markedly between diseased and asymptomatic tissue in one of the two years. This suggests that the influence of disease on eelgrass microbial communities may vary with environmental conditions. We next experimentally reduced the eelgrass microbiome with antibiotics and bleach, then inoculated plants with Labyrinthula zosterae, the causative agent of wasting disease. We detected significantly higher disease severity in eelgrass with a native microbiome than an experimentally reduced microbiome. Our results over multiple experiments do not support a protective role of the eelgrass microbiome against L. zosterae. Further studies of these marine host–microbe–pathogen relationships may continue to show new relationships between plant microbiomes and diseases.

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A reciprocal transplant experiment sheds new light on a classic marine seagrass-algal symbiosis and suggests influence of epiphytic symbiont on seagrass microbiota

Cited by 8 publications

References 48 publications

Taxonomic and functional β-diversity patterns reveal stochastic assembly rules in microbial communities of seagrass beds

Taxonomic and functional β-diversity patterns reveal stochastic assembly rules in microbial communities of seagrass beds

Grazing preference and isotopic contributions of kelp to Zostera marina mesograzers

Manipulation of the seagrass‐associated microbiome reduces disease severity

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