Publication Date:
2024-03-07
Description:
Sponges are abundant components of coral reefs known for their filtration capabilities and intricate interactions with microbes. They
\nplay a crucial role in maintaining the ecological balance of coral reefs. Humic substances (HS) affect bacterial communities across
\nterrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. However, the specific effects of HS on sponge-associated microbial symbionts have
\nlargely been neglected. Here, we used a randomized-controlled microcosm setup to investigate the independent and interactive effects of HS, elevated temperature, and UVB radiation on bacterial communities associated with the sponge Chondrilla sp. Our results
\nindicated the presence of a core bacterial community consisting of relatively abundant members, apparently resilient to the tested
\nenvironmental perturbations, alongside a variable bacterial community. Elevated temperature positively affected the relative abundances of ASVs related to Planctomycetales and members of the families Pseudohongiellaceae and Hyphomonadaceae. HS increased
\nthe relative abundances of several ASVs potentially involved in recalcitrant organic matter degradation (e.g., the BD2-11 terrestrial
\ngroup, Saccharimonadales, and SAR202 clade). There was no significant independent effect of UVB and there were no significant
\ninteractive effects of HS, heat, and UVB on bacterial diversity and composition. The significant, independent impact of HS on the
\ncomposition of sponge bacterial communities suggests that alterations to HS inputs may have cascading effects on adjacent marine
\necosystems.
Keywords:
climate change
;
coral reefs
;
DOM
;
sponge microbiome
;
terrestrial organic matter
Repository Name:
National Museum of Natural History, Netherlands
Type:
info:eu-repo/semantics/article
Format:
application/pdf
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