Disease and nutrient enrichment as potential stressors on the Caribbean sponge Aplysina cauliformis and its bacterial symbionts

Gochfeld, Deborah J.; Easson, Cole G.; Freeman, Christopher; Thacker, Robert; Olson, Julie B.

doi:10.3354/meps09716

Cited by 45 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…Sponges were exposed to nutrient concentrations 9-fold, 7.5-fold, 7-fold and 2.1-fold (ammonium, phosphate, nitrite and nitrate concentrations, respectively) above ambient yet showed no adverse health effects or changes in symbiosis. These results are further supported by a recent study that found nutrient enrichment does not affect the sponge Aplysina cauliformis or its symbiont community [98]. Healthy and Aplysina Red Band Syndrome (ARBS)-affected A. cauliformis were exposed to nutrient-enriched conditions (up to 4.8-fold and 2.1-fold increases of nitrate and phosphate respectively, from ambient levels over 7 days).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

“…Healthy and Aplysina Red Band Syndrome (ARBS)-affected A. cauliformis were exposed to nutrient-enriched conditions (up to 4.8-fold and 2.1-fold increases of nitrate and phosphate respectively, from ambient levels over 7 days). A combination of terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP), histology and chlorophyll fluorescence measurements [98] revealed no change in the bacterial communities of healthy sponges, nor an enhanced rate of disease progression in ARBS-affected sponges. However, nutrient enrichment levels similar to those in this experiment have been shown to exacerbate the onset and severity of coral diseases, including Black Band Disease [42], aspergillosis and Yellow Band Disease [36].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sponge-Microbe Associations Survive High Nutrients and Temperatures

et al. 2012

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Coral reefs are under considerable pressure from global stressors such as elevated sea surface temperature and ocean acidification, as well as local factors including eutrophication and poor water quality. Marine sponges are diverse, abundant and ecologically important components of coral reefs in both coastal and offshore environments. Due to their exceptionally high filtration rates, sponges also form a crucial coupling point between benthic and pelagic habitats. Sponges harbor extensive microbial communities, with many microbial phylotypes found exclusively in sponges and thought to contribute to the health and survival of their hosts. Manipulative experiments were undertaken to ascertain the impact of elevated nutrients and seawater temperature on health and microbial community dynamics in the Great Barrier Reef sponge Rhopaloeides odorabile. R. odorabile exposed to elevated nutrient levels including 10 µmol/L total nitrogen at 31°C appeared visually similar to those maintained under ambient seawater conditions after 7 days. The symbiotic microbial community, analyzed by 16S rRNA gene pyrotag sequencing, was highly conserved for the duration of the experiment at both phylum and operational taxonomic unit (OTU) (97% sequence similarity) levels with 19 bacterial phyla and 1743 OTUs identified across all samples. Additionally, elevated nutrients and temperatures did not alter the archaeal associations in R. odorabile, with sequencing of 16S rRNA gene libraries revealing similar Thaumarchaeota diversity and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) revealing consistent amoA gene patterns, across all experimental treatments. A conserved eukaryotic community was also identified across all nutrient and temperature treatments by DGGE. The highly stable microbial associations indicate that R. odorabile symbionts are capable of withstanding short-term exposure to elevated nutrient concentrations and sub-lethal temperatures.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sponge-Microbe Associations Survive High Nutrients and Temperatures

et al. 2012

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“…This suggests that human activities are a common theme with WP disease, and those coral reefs in nearshore waters close to significant population centers are likely to have more microorganisms, including potential pathogens, analogous to what has been observed along a gradient of human population densities in the Northern Line Islands (Dinsdale et al ., ). The WP disease reported here is from the Bahamas (Lee Stocking Island) and is 45 km from the nearest population center with very low concentrations of dissolved inorganic nutrients (Voss & Richardson, ; Gochfeld et al ., ). Also, the reefs around Lee Stocking Island have significantly lower concentrations of dissolved organic matter (DOM) compared with the Florida Keys (Lesser & Mobley, ; Zepp et al ., ), a potential source of physiological stress for corals that is believed to potentially lead to opportunistic coral diseases (Barott & Rohwer, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Culture-dependent and culture-independent analyses reveal no prokaryotic community shifts or recovery ofSerratia marcescensinAcropora palmatawith white pox disease

Lesser

Jarett

2014

FEMS Microbiol Ecol

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Recently, the etiological agent of white pox (WP) disease, also known as acroporid serratiosis, in the endangered coral Acropora palmata is the enteric bacterium Serratia marcescens with the source being localized sewage release onto coastal coral reef communities. Here, we show that both culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches could not recover this bacterium from samples of tissue and mucus from A. palmata colonies affected by WP disease in the Bahamas, or seawater collected adjacent to A. palmata colonies. Additionally, a metagenetic 16S rRNA pyrosequencing study shows no significant difference in the bacterial communities of coral tissues with and without WP lesions. As recent studies have shown for other coral diseases, S. marcescens cannot be identified in all cases of WP disease in several geographically separated populations of A. palmata with the same set of signs. As a result, its identification as the etiological agent of WP disease, and cause of a reverse zoonosis, cannot be broadly supported. However, the prevalence of WP disease associated with S. marcescens does appear to be associated with proximity to population centers, and research efforts should be broadened to examine this association, and to identify other causes of this syndrome.

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“…A conceptual model proposed by Thacker and Freeman (2012) suggests that environmental factors can alter sponge-microbe symbioses by affecting the balance and interactions between symbionts; however, existing research is largely based on photosymbionts, and the effect of variation in environmental factors on non-photosynthetic microbes remains less certain. Experimental research has led to different outcomes when testing how sponge-associated microbial communities respond to different factors such as nutrients, antibiotics, light, and temperature (Friedrich et al, 2001;Lemoine et al, 2007;Webster et al, 2008;Gerc ße et al, 2009;Gochfeld et al, 2012;Simister et al, 2012a). For example, Webster et al (2008) found changes in the microbial community composition of Rhopaloeides odorabile due to a loss of symbionts when exposed to elevated temperatures (2-3°C above mean temperature).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of environmental variation on symbiotic bacterial communities of two temperate sponges

Cárdenas

Bell

Davy

et al. 2014

FEMS Microbiol Ecol

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Sponges are an important component of temperate subtidal marine ecosystems, with a range of important functional roles and extensive symbiotic relationships with microorganisms. However, much remains unknown about their relationships with these symbiotic microorganisms, and specifically, the role that these symbionts play in sponge physiology, feeding and adaptation to local environmental conditions. Changes in environmental factors may alter relationships between sponges and their symbionts, which could conceivably influence the abundance and distribution patterns of some temperate sponge species. Here, we analyzed the effect of transplantation of sponges between different habitats to test the effect of changes in environmental conditions on the stability of the bacterial communities in specimens of Tethya bergquistae and Ecionemia alata, based on pyrosequencing of amplified 16S rRNA genes. Bacterial communities differed markedly between the two host species. While some morphological changes were observed in transplanted sponges, transplantation had little overall effect on sponge-associated bacterial communities at either phylum or 97%-OTU level. Our results show the importance of host species and also the stability of sponge-associated bacterial communities under environmental variation.

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Disease and nutrient enrichment as potential stressors on the Caribbean sponge Aplysina cauliformis and its bacterial symbionts

Cited by 45 publications

References 60 publications

Sponge-Microbe Associations Survive High Nutrients and Temperatures

Sponge-Microbe Associations Survive High Nutrients and Temperatures

Culture-dependent and culture-independent analyses reveal no prokaryotic community shifts or recovery ofSerratia marcescensinAcropora palmatawith white pox disease

Influence of environmental variation on symbiotic bacterial communities of two temperate sponges

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