Diversity and the environmental drivers of spatial variation in Bacteria and micro-Eukarya communities from the Hawaiian anchialine ecosystem

Hoffman, Stephanie K.; Seitz, Kiley W.; Havird, Justin C.; Weese, David; Santos, Scott R.

doi:10.1007/s10750-017-3365-2

Cited by 15 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…Environmental parameters (such as water chemistry) may strongly affect the spatial and taxonomic distributions of indigenous microbial communities and the trophic levels of food webs in blue holes (Gonzalez et al 2011;Hoffman et al 2018;Seymour et al 2007). However, previous studies have either provided microbial profiles at a broad taxonomic level or have focused mainly on the water samples collected from specific depths within the cave (Gonzalez et al 2011;Hoffman et al 2018). A more resolved study targeting a finer taxonomic level can enhance our understanding of accurate microbial distribution patterns in response to environmental changes (Liu et al 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vertical variation in Vibrio community composition in Sansha Yongle Blue Hole and its ability to degrade macromolecules

Liu

Zhou

et al. 2019

Mar Life Sci Technol

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With the advantages of wide distribution, fast growth, and broad metabolic spectrum to organic carbon compounds, Vibrio may play an important role in organic carbon cycling. However, the ecological roles of Vibrio in many marine environments have not been explored. Here, the world's deepest 'blue hole', the Sansha Yongle Blue Hole (SYBH) in the South China Sea, which is a geographically semi-enclosed environment featuring unique chemical characters, was investigated. The abundance, diversity and carbon source utilization capability of Vibrio were studied by quantification and high-throughput sequencing of Vibrio specific 16S rRNA genes and cultivation methods. The abundance of Vibrio in water column of the SYBH ranged from 3.78 × 10 4 to 7.35 × 10 6 16S rRNA gene copies L −1. Free-living Vibrio was more abundant than particle-associated Vibrio (~ 1.20 × 10 6 versus~ 2.68 × 10 5 gene copies L −1), indicating that Vibrio prefers a free-living life style. The Vibrio assemblages showed clear vertical stratification and could be divided into three groups: aerobic-transition, middle anaerobic and bottom anaerobic zones. Dissolved oxygen (DO), temperature, pH and salinity were the main environmental factors affecting the abundance and community composition. Cultivated Vibrio demonstrated a degrading capability to various macromolecular substrates, including starch, Tween 20/40/80, DNA, gelatin, alginate, casein, chitin, lecithin, κ-carrageenan, mannan, xylan and hyaluronic acid. This suggests that Vibrio could produce a variety of highly active extracellular enzymes. Our study provides new insights into the distribution pattern and possible role in carbon cycle of Vibrio in the unique environment of a 'blue hole'.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vertical variation in Vibrio community composition in Sansha Yongle Blue Hole and its ability to degrade macromolecules

Liu

Zhou

et al. 2019

Mar Life Sci Technol

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“…The environmental conditions of anchialine systems include stratified water columns with complex physicochemical profiles spanning hypoxic and anoxic regions (Bianchi et al, 2018). Microenvironments formed in these waters as a result of these clines may vary considerably in multiple physiological parameters, resulting in differing selection pressures and leading to distinct species mixtures, making these sites particularly interesting for species diversity studies [ (Hoffman et al, 2017) and references therein]. These habitats are increasingly exposed to climate-change related threats (Iliffe, 2002), however comprehensive ecosystem risk assessment of the vast majority of natural [e.g., sea-level fluctuation, ] and human-induced [e.g., contamination, erosion, etc., (Martıńez and Gonzalez, 2018)] impacts is still incomplete (Marrack et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unravelling Stratified Microbial Assemblages in Australia’s Only Deep Anchialine System, The Bundera Sinkhole

et al. 2022

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Bundera sinkhole, located in north-western Australia, is the only known continental anchialine system in the Southern Hemisphere. Anchialine environments are characterised by stratified water columns with complex physicochemical profiles spanning hypoxic and anoxic regions, often displaying high levels of endemism. Research on these systems has focused on eukaryotic fauna, however interest in the microbial diversity of these environments is growing, enabled by next-generation DNA sequencing. Here we report detailed analyses of the microbial communities across a depth profile within Bundera sinkhole (from 2 to 28 m), involving parallel physicochemical measurements, cell population counts and 16S rRNA amplicon analyses. We observed clear shifts in microbial cell counts, community diversity, structure and membership across the depth profile, reflecting changing levels of light, organic and inorganic energy sources as well as shifts in pH and salinity. While Proteobacteria were the most abundant phylum found, there was a high degree of taxonomic novelty within these microbial communities, with 13,028 unique amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) identified, belonging to 67 identifiable bacterial and archaeal phyla. Of these ~4,600, more than one third of the total, were unclassified below family level. A small number of ASVs were highly abundant at select depths, all of which were part of the set not classified below family level. The 2 m and 6 m samples had in common two highly abundant ASVs, belonging to the Ectothiorhodospiraceae and Thiotrichaceae families, while the 8 m community contained a single predominant ASV belonging to family Thioglobaceae. At lower depths a different Ectothiorhodospiraceae ASV comprised up to 68% relative abundance, peaking at 26 and 28 m. Canonical correspondence analyses indicated that community structure was strongly influenced by differences in key physicochemical parameters, particularly salinity, dissolved organic and inorganic carbon, phosphate and sulphate concentrations. This work highlights the potential for anchialine systems to house considerable microbial novelty, potentially driven by adaptations to the specific physicochemical makeup of their local environment. As only a small number of anchialine systems have been examined via microbial community studies to date, this work is particularly valuable, contributing new insight regarding the microbial residents of these important and sensitive environments.

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“…Most anchialine cave studies documented endemism among eukaryotes [12]. Relatively few studies have attempted to record the full diversity of microbial communities in anchialine ecosystems [13][14][15], even though these studies resulted in descriptions of new species using novel molecular tools. In the region of the eastern Adriatic Sea, the majority of anchialine ecological studies have been based on the taxonomic research of stygobiotic metazoans [16], the distribution of trace metals [17], and iodine species and nutrients [18].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microeukaryotic and Prokaryotic Diversity of Anchialine Caves from Eastern Adriatic Sea Islands

Kajan

Cukrov

et al. 2021

Microb Ecol

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Anchialine ecosystems in the eastern Adriatic Sea are diverse both morphologically and biologically. In this study, for the first time, we explored the microeukaryotic and prokaryotic community of anchialine caves in the Mediterranean region using high-throughput sequencing. Four anchialine caves located on nearby islands with a well-pronounced salinity gradient were sampled at the surface freshwater area, halocline area, and seawater area. Sequencing revealed a surprisingly wide diversity of the microeukaryotic and prokaryotic community with the relative abundance of major phyla differing within the salinity gradient and between the caves. Interestingly, microeukaryotic and prokaryotic communities clustered into four groups based on location, pointing out that sampled anchialine caves have different microbial community patterns and high microbial endemism. Our results indicate that even with the halocline acting as a selecting barrier, the salinity is not the only community structuring factor. Despite the short geographical distance, the isolation of anchialine caves facilitated high microbial community adaptation and endemism. Our study suggests that anchialine caves represent reservoirs of new biodiversity, maintaining unique and complex microbial diversity influenced by biotic interactions and abiotic environmental conditions.

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Diversity and the environmental drivers of spatial variation in Bacteria and micro-Eukarya communities from the Hawaiian anchialine ecosystem

Cited by 15 publications

References 62 publications

Vertical variation in Vibrio community composition in Sansha Yongle Blue Hole and its ability to degrade macromolecules

Vertical variation in Vibrio community composition in Sansha Yongle Blue Hole and its ability to degrade macromolecules

Unravelling Stratified Microbial Assemblages in Australia’s Only Deep Anchialine System, The Bundera Sinkhole

Microeukaryotic and Prokaryotic Diversity of Anchialine Caves from Eastern Adriatic Sea Islands

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