Publication Date:
2024-02-14
Description:
Marine karst ecosystems exist at the land-sea interface and are characterised by underwater formations sculpted over time by
\nthe action of seawater. Submerged caves and crevices of these ecosystems host a rich array of marine life of which sponges are
\namong the most abundant and diverse components. In the present study, we describe elements of the sponge fauna sampled
\nfrom a unique karst ecosystem at a remote island, Orchid Island, of the southeastern coast of Taiwan. The present study
\nincludes several understudied sponge taxa, including sclerosponges (Acanthochaetetes wellsi, and Astrosclera willeyana) and
\nseveral lithistid species from dark, shallow-water caves. Prokaryotic communities were obtained from a total of 22 demosponge species, of which 11 are potentially new to science. The tetracladinid, lithistids harboured prokaryotic communities,
\nwhich clustered separately from all other sponge species, contrasting with the non-tetracladinid, lithistid Vetulina incrustans.
\nThe tetracladinid, lithistids, furthermore, formed two distinct clusters with species of the Spirophorina suborder clustering
\napart from those of the Astrophorina suborder. The sclerosponge A. wellsi also harboured a distinct prokaryotic community
\nin terms of composition including fve unique, abundant OTUs with relatively low sequence similarities to organisms in
\nGenBank. All cave sponges were enriched with SAR202 members, a group of bacteria known for their role in the degradation of recalcitrant compounds. The highest relative abundance of SAR202 was found in A. wellsi. We propose that the cave
\nsponges of Orchid Island may play an as-yet uncharted role in nutrient dynamics at the land-sea interface.
Keywords:
16S
;
Composition
;
Porifera
;
Prokaryotes
;
Taiwan
Repository Name:
National Museum of Natural History, Netherlands
Type:
info:eu-repo/semantics/article
Format:
application/pdf
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