Gene correlation networks reveal the transcriptomic response to elevated nitrogen in a photosynthetic sponge

Abstract

Sponges are the oldest extant Metazoans, with fossils dating back to the Precambrian (Li et al., 2014) and recent work supporting sponges as sister to all other animals (Feuda et al., 2017). They form an abundant and diverse component of benthic communities, with 8,866 formally described species (20,000 estimated species), that occupy both marine and freshwater habitats from the poles to the tropics (Van Soest et al., 2017). Sponges also play integral roles in ecosystem processes such as bioerosion and consolidation, benthic-pelagic coupling through their immense filtering capabilities, as well as nutrient cycling through their complex symbiosis with microorganisms (Bell, 2008; de Goeij et al., 2013; Diaz & Rüetzler, 2001). Sponges undertake this nutrient cycling using exceptionally diverse microbial communities, with over 40 microbial phyla (including candidate phyla) known to associate with sponges (Thomas et al., 2016). Nutrient levels in coastal areas have been increasing due to inputs from both point (e.g., sewage effluent) and nonpoint (e.g., agricultural and urban runoff) sources (Carpenter et al., 1998), and this has contributed to the degradation of reef ecosystems worldwide (D'Angelo & Wiedenmann, 2014; Fabricius et al., 2011). Various aspects of coral physiology (e.g., reproductive success, calcification rates and growth) are negatively impacted by elevated nutrients

A broad‐taxa approach as an important concept in ecotoxicological studies and pollution monitoring

“…Transcriptomic analyses performed on aquatic invertebrates exposed to various pollutants (Srivastava et al ., 2010; Elran et al ., 2014; Riesgo et al ., 2014; Ereskovsky et al ., 2017; Kenny et al ., 2018, 2020; Zhang et al ., 2019 b ; Luter et al ., 2020; DeLeo et al ., 2021; Rubin et al ., 2021) have shed light on species‐specific differences in response to environmental pollution. Tests based on the mode of regulation and expression of genes of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor signalling pathway (Hahn, Karchner & Merson, 2017) and xenobiotic‐metabolising enzymes have become prominent examples of these approaches, serving as reliable pollution biomarkers in various organisms, including non‐model organisms (Zhou et al ., 2020).…”

Comparative transcriptomics reveals altered species interaction between the bioeroding sponge Cliona varians and the coral Porites furcata under ocean acidification

“…Much evidence suggests that sponges are relatively unimpacted by ocean change, including increased temperature (Guzman & Conaco, 2016), nitrification (Luter et al, 2020), and acidification (Achlatis et al, 2017;Bell et al, 2013;Duckworth et al, 2012;Kroeker et al, 2010;Stubler et al, 2014Stubler et al, , 2015. Stubler et al (2014Stubler et al ( , 2015 observed 100% survival in 150 and 720 C. varians sponge replicates exposed to 51 and 140 days of acidification, respectively.…”