Ajani, PA, Savela, H, Kahlke, T, Harrison, D, Jeffries, T, Kohli, GS, Verma, A, Laczka, O, Doblin, MA, Seymour, JR, Larsson, ME, Potts, J, Scanes, P, Gribben, PE, Harrison, L & Murray, SA 2023, 'Response of planktonic microbial assemblages to disturbance in an urban sub-tropical estuary', Water Research, vol. 243, pp. 120371-120371.
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Microbes are sensitive indicators of estuarine processes because they respond rapidly to dynamic disturbance events. As most of the world's population lives in urban areas and climate change-related disturbance events are becoming more frequent, estuaries bounded by cities are experiencing increasing stressors, at the same time that their ecosystem services are required more than ever. Here, using a multidisciplinary approach, we determined the response of planktonic microbial assemblages in response to seasonality and a rainfall disturbance in an urban estuary bounded by Australia's largest city, Sydney. We used molecular barcoding (16S, 18S V4 rRNA) and microscopy-based identification to compare microbial assemblages at locations with differing characteristics and urbanisation histories. Across 142 samples, we identified 8,496 unique free-living bacterial zOTUs, 8,175 unique particle associated bacterial zOTUs, and 1,920 unique microbial eukaryotic zOTUs. Using microscopy, we identified only the top <10% abundant, larger eukaryotic taxa (>10 µm), however quantification was possible. The site with the greater history of anthropogenic impact showed a more even community of associated bacteria and eukaryotes, and a significant increase in dissolved inorganic nitrogen following rainfall, when compared to the more buffered site. This coincided with a reduced proportional abundance of Actinomarina and Synechococcus spp., a change in SAR 11 clades, and an increase in the eukaryotic microbial groups Dinophyceae, Mediophyceae and Bathyoccocaceae, including a temporary dominance of the harmful algal bloom dinoflagellate Prorocentrum cordatum (syn. P. minimum). Finally, a validated hydrodynamic model of the estuary supported these results, showing that the more highly urbanised and upstream location consistently experienced a higher magnitude of salinity reduction in response to rainfall events during the study period. The best abiotic variables to explain commu...
Armbrecht, L, Focardi, A, Lawler, K, O’Brien, P, Leventer, A, Noble, TL, Opdyke, B, Duffy, M, Evangelinos, D, George, SC, Lieser, J, López‐Quirós, A, Post, A, Ostrowski, M, Paulsen, I & Armand, L 2023, 'From the Surface Ocean to the Seafloor: Linking Modern and Paleo‐Genetics at the Sabrina Coast, East Antarctica (IN2017_V01)', Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, vol. 128, no. 4.
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AbstractWith ongoing climate change, research into the biological changes occurring in particularly vulnerable ecosystems, such as Antarctica, is critical. The Totten Glacier region, Sabrina Coast, is currently experiencing some of the highest rates of thinning across all East Antarctica. An assessment of the microscopic organisms supporting the ecosystem of the marginal sea‐ice zone over the continental rise is important, yet there is a lack of knowledge about the diversity and distribution of these organisms throughout the water column, and their occurrence and/or preservation in the underlying sediments. Here, we provide a taxonomic overview of the modern and ancient marine bacterial and eukaryotic communities of the Totten Glacier region, using a combination of 16S and 18S rRNA amplicon sequencing (modern DNA) and shotgun metagenomics (sedimentary ancient DNA, sedaDNA). Our data show considerable differences between eukaryote and bacterial signals in the water column versus the sediments. Proteobacteria and diatoms dominate the bacterial and eukaryote composition in the upper water column, while diatoms, dinoflagellates, and haptophytes notably decrease in relative abundance with increasing water depth. Little diatom sedaDNA is preserved in the sediments, which are instead dominated by Proteobacteria and Retaria. We compare the diatom microfossil and sedaDNA record and link the weak preservation of diatom sedaDNA to DNA degradation while sinking through the water column to the seafloor. This study provides the first assessment of DNA transfer from ocean waters to sediments and an overview of the microscopic communities occurring in the climatically important Totten Glacier region.
Bartels, N, Dilernia, NJ, Howlett, L & Camp, EF 2023, 'Stress event for “super corals” in Great Barrier Reef mangrove lagoon', Marine Biodiversity, vol. 53, no. 5.
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Bates, H, Zavafer, A, Szabó, M & Ralph, PJ 2023, 'The slow-phase of chlorophyll fluorescence induction curve reflects the electron transport rates of Photosystem II in vivo in Chlorella vulgaris', Journal of Applied Phycology, vol. 35, no. 1, pp. 109-116.
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Brunet, M, Le Duff, N, Rigaut‐Jalabert, F, Romac, S, Barbeyron, T & Thomas, F 2023, 'Seasonal dynamics of a glycan‐degrading flavobacterial genus in a tidally mixed coastal temperate habitat', Environmental Microbiology, vol. 25, no. 12, pp. 3192-3206.
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AbstractCoastal marine habitats constitute hotspots of primary productivity. In temperate regions, this is due both to massive phytoplankton blooms and dense colonisation by macroalgae that mostly store carbon as glycans, contributing substantially to local and global carbon sequestration. Because they control carbon and energy fluxes, algae‐degrading microorganisms are crucial for coastal ecosystem functions. Environmental surveys revealed consistent seasonal dynamics of alga‐associated bacterial assemblages, yet resolving what factors regulate the in situ abundance, growth rate and ecological functions of individual taxa remains a challenge. Here, we specifically investigated the seasonal dynamics of abundance and activity for a well‐known alga‐degrading marine flavobacterial genus in a tidally mixed coastal habitat of the Western English Channel. We show that members of the genus Zobellia are a stable, low‐abundance component of healthy macroalgal microbiota and can also colonise particles in the water column. This genus undergoes recurring seasonal variations with higher abundances in winter, significantly associated to biotic and abiotic variables. Zobellia can become a dominant part of bacterial communities on decaying macroalgae, showing a strong activity and high estimated in situ growth rates. These results provide insights into the seasonal dynamics and environmental constraints driving natural populations of alga‐degrading bacteria that influence coastal carbon cycling.
Buckley, T, Karanam, K, Han, H, Vo, HNP, Shukla, P, Firouzi, M & Rudolph, V 2023, 'Effect of different co-foaming agents on PFAS removal from the environment by foam fractionation', Water Research, vol. 230, pp. 119532-119532.
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Buckley, T, Vuong, T, Karanam, K, Vo, PHN, Shukla, P, Firouzi, M & Rudolph, V 2023, 'Using foam fractionation to estimate PFAS air-water interface adsorption behaviour at ng/L and µg/L concentrations', Water Research, vol. 239, pp. 120028-120028.
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Clerc, EE, Raina, J-B, Keegstra, JM, Landry, Z, Pontrelli, S, Alcolombri, U, Lambert, BS, Anelli, V, Vincent, F, Masdeu-Navarro, M, Sichert, A, De Schaetzen, F, Sauer, U, Simó, R, Hehemann, J-H, Vardi, A, Seymour, JR & Stocker, R 2023, 'Strong chemotaxis by marine bacteria towards polysaccharides is enhanced by the abundant organosulfur compound DMSP', Nature Communications, vol. 14, no. 1, p. 8080.
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AbstractThe ability of marine bacteria to direct their movement in response to chemical gradients influences inter-species interactions, nutrient turnover, and ecosystem productivity. While many bacteria are chemotactic towards small metabolites, marine organic matter is predominantly composed of large molecules and polymers. Yet, the signalling role of these large molecules is largely unknown. Using in situ and laboratory-based chemotaxis assays, we show that marine bacteria are strongly attracted to the abundant algal polysaccharides laminarin and alginate. Unexpectedly, these polysaccharides elicited stronger chemoattraction than their oligo- and monosaccharide constituents. Furthermore, chemotaxis towards laminarin was strongly enhanced by dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), another ubiquitous algal-derived metabolite. Our results indicate that DMSP acts as a methyl donor for marine bacteria, increasing their gradient detection capacity and facilitating their access to polysaccharide patches. We demonstrate that marine bacteria are capable of strong chemotaxis towards large soluble polysaccharides and uncover a new ecological role for DMSP in enhancing this attraction. These navigation behaviours may contribute to the rapid turnover of polymers in the ocean, with important consequences for marine carbon cycling.
Cui, G, Konciute, MK, Ling, L, Esau, L, Raina, J-B, Han, B, Salazar, OR, Presnell, JS, Rädecker, N, Zhong, H, Menzies, J, Cleves, PA, Liew, YJ, Krediet, CJ, Sawiccy, V, Cziesielski, MJ, Guagliardo, P, Bougoure, J, Pernice, M, Hirt, H, Voolstra, CR, Weis, VM, Pringle, JR & Aranda, M 2023, 'Molecular insights into the Darwin paradox of coral reefs from the sea anemone Aiptasia', Science Advances, vol. 9, no. 11.
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Symbiotic cnidarians such as corals and anemones form highly productive and biodiverse coral reef ecosystems in nutrient-poor ocean environments, a phenomenon known as Darwin’s paradox. Resolving this paradox requires elucidating the molecular bases of efficient nutrient distribution and recycling in the cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis. Using the sea anemone Aiptasia, we show that during symbiosis, the increased availability of glucose and the presence of the algae jointly induce the coordinated up-regulation and relocalization of glucose and ammonium transporters. These molecular responses are critical to support symbiont functioning and organism-wide nitrogen assimilation through glutamine synthetase/glutamate synthase–mediated amino acid biosynthesis. Our results reveal crucial aspects of the molecular mechanisms underlying nitrogen conservation and recycling in these organisms that allow them to thrive in the nitrogen-poor ocean environments.
Dilernia, NJ, Camp, EF, Bartels, N & Suggett, DJ 2023, 'Contrasting the thermal performance of cultured coral endosymbiont photo-physiology', Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, vol. 561, pp. 151865-151865.
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Doane, MP, Ostrowski, M, Brown, M, Bramucci, A, Bodrossy, L, van de Kamp, J, Bissett, A, Steinberg, P, Doblin, MA & Seymour, J 2023, 'Defining marine bacterioplankton community assembly rules by contrasting the importance of environmental determinants and biotic interactions', Environmental Microbiology, vol. 25, no. 6, pp. 1084-1098.
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AbstractBacterioplankton communities govern marine productivity and biogeochemical cycling, yet drivers of bacterioplankton assembly remain unclear. Here, we contrast the relative contribution of deterministic processes (environmental factors and biotic interactions) in driving temporal dynamics of bacterioplankton diversity at three different oceanographic time series locations, spanning 15° of latitude, which are each characterized by different environmental conditions and varying degrees of seasonality. Monthly surface samples (5.5 years) were analysed using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. The high‐ and mid‐latitude sites of Maria Island and Port Hacking were characterized by high and intermediate levels of environmental heterogeneity, respectively, with both alpha diversity (72%; 24% of total variation) and beta diversity (32%; 30%) patterns within bacterioplankton assemblages explained by day length, ammonium, and mixed layer depth. In contrast, North Stradbroke Island, a sub‐tropical location where environmental conditions are less variable, interspecific interactions were of increased importance in structuring bacterioplankton diversity (alpha: 33%; beta: 26%) with environment only contributing 11% and 13% to predicting diversity, respectively. Our results demonstrate that bacterioplankton diversity is the result of both deterministic environmental and biotic processes and that the importance of these different deterministic processes varies, potential in response to environmental heterogeneity.
Doré, H, Guyet, U, Leconte, J, Farrant, GK, Alric, B, Ratin, M, Ostrowski, M, Ferrieux, M, Brillet-Guéguen, L, Hoebeke, M, Siltanen, J, Le Corguillé, G, Corre, E, Wincker, P, Scanlan, DJ, Eveillard, D, Partensky, F & Garczarek, L 2023, 'Differential global distribution of marine picocyanobacteria gene clusters reveals distinct niche-related adaptive strategies', The ISME Journal, vol. 17, no. 5, pp. 720-732.
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Abstract The ever-increasing number of available microbial genomes and metagenomes provides new opportunities to investigate the links between niche partitioning and genome evolution in the ocean, especially for the abundant and ubiquitous marine picocyanobacteria Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus. Here, by combining metagenome analyses of the Tara Oceans dataset with comparative genomics, including phyletic patterns and genomic context of individual genes from 256 reference genomes, we show that picocyanobacterial communities thriving in different niches possess distinct gene repertoires. We also identify clusters of adjacent genes that display specific distribution patterns in the field (eCAGs) and are thus potentially involved in the same metabolic pathway and may have a key role in niche adaptation. Several eCAGs are likely involved in the uptake or incorporation of complex organic forms of nutrients, such as guanidine, cyanate, cyanide, pyrimidine, or phosphonates, which might be either directly used by cells, for example for the biosynthesis of proteins or DNA, or degraded to inorganic nitrogen and/or phosphorus forms. We also highlight the enrichment of eCAGs involved in polysaccharide capsule biosynthesis in Synechococcus populations thriving in both nitrogen- and phosphorus-depleted areas vs. low-iron (Fe) regions, suggesting that the complexes they encode may be too energy-consuming for picocyanobacteria thriving in the latter areas. In contrast, Prochlorococcus populations thriving in Fe-depleted areas specifically possess an alternative respiratory terminal oxidase, potentially involved in the reduction of Fe(III) to Fe(II). Altogether, this study provides insights into how phytoplankton communities populate oceanic ecosystems, which is relevant to understanding their capacity to respond to ongoing climate change.
Firme, GF, Hughes, DJ, Laiolo, L, Roughan, M, Suthers, IM & Doblin, MA 2023, 'Contrasting phytoplankton composition and primary productivity in multiple mesoscale eddies along the East Australian coast', Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, vol. 193, pp. 103952-103952.
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Fisher, NL, Halsey, KH, Suggett, DJ, Pombrol, M, Ralph, PJ, Lutz, A, Sogin, EM, Raina, J-B & Matthews, JL 2023, 'Light-dependent metabolic shifts in the model diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana', Algal Research, vol. 74, pp. 103172-103172.
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Gibbs, M, Ross, P, Scanes, E, Gibbs, J, Rotolo‐Ross, R & Parker, L 2023, 'Extending conservation of coastal and oyster reef restoration for First Nations cultural revitalization', Conservation Biology, vol. 37, no. 6, p. e14158.
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Hamzelou, S, Belobrajdic, D, Broadbent, JA, Juhász, A, Lee Chang, K, Jameson, I, Ralph, P & Colgrave, ML 2023, 'Utilizing proteomics to identify and optimize microalgae strains for high-quality dietary protein: a review', Critical Reviews in Biotechnology, pp. 1-16.
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Algae-derived protein has immense potential to provide high-quality protein foods for the expanding human population. To meet its potential, a broad range of scientific tools are required to identify optimal algal strains from the hundreds of thousands available and identify ideal growing conditions for strains that produce high-quality protein with functional benefits. A research pipeline that includes proteomics can provide a deeper interpretation of microalgal composition and biochemistry in the pursuit of these goals. To date, proteomic investigations have largely focused on pathways that involve lipid production in selected microalgae species. Herein, we report the current state of microalgal proteome measurement and discuss promising approaches for the development of protein-containing food products derived from algae.
Haydon, TD, Matthews, JL, Seymour, JR, Raina, J-B, Seymour, JE, Chartrand, K, Camp, EF & Suggett, DJ 2023, 'Metabolomic signatures of corals thriving across extreme reef habitats reveal strategies of heat stress tolerance', Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, vol. 290, no. 1992.
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Anthropogenic stressors continue to escalate worldwide, driving unprecedented declines in reef environmental conditions and coral health. One approach to better understand how corals can function in the future is to examine coral populations that thrive within present day naturally extreme habitats. We applied untargeted metabolomics (gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS)) to contrast metabolite profiles of Pocillopora acuta colonies from hot, acidic and deoxygenated mangrove environments versus those from adjacent reefs. Under ambient temperatures, P. acuta predominantly associated with endosymbionts of the genera Cladocopium (reef) or Durusdinium (mangrove), exhibiting elevated metabolism in mangrove through energy-generating and biosynthesis pathways compared to reef populations. Under transient heat stress, P. acuta endosymbiont associations were unchanged. Reef corals bleached and exhibited extensive shifts in symbiont metabolic profiles (whereas host metabolite profiles were unchanged). By contrast, mangrove populations did not bleach and solely the host metabolite profiles were altered, including cellular responses in inter-partner signalling, antioxidant capacity and energy storage. Thus mangrove P. acuta populations resist periodically high-temperature exposure via association with thermally tolerant endosymbionts coupled with host metabolic plasticity. Our findings highlight specific metabolites that may be biomarkers of heat tolerance, providing novel insight into adaptive coral resilience to elevated temperatures.
Henry, JA, Szereday, S, Lynn, CK, Suggett, DJ, Camp, EF & Patterson, JT 2023, 'Using relative return‐on‐effort scoring to evaluate a novel coral nursery in Malaysia', Restoration Ecology, vol. 31, no. 3.
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Coral reefs in Malaysia have been degraded by environmental and anthropogenic stressors, and enthusiasm for coral propagation aimed at site restoration is rapidly growing as a local management tool. However, coral propagation activities in the region are in their infancy and little data currently exists to guide and inform effective practices. We therefore established the first multi‐taxa coral tree nursery (6 species and 300 fragments) in Malaysia and tracked survival and growth to determine the relative return‐on‐effort (RRE) over an approximately 14‐month monitoring period. We observed differences in growth and survival among six coral species and were successful at benchmarking results against coral restoration operations globally and in the East Asian Seas region. Major findings include (1) overall ranges in species level survivorship of 34–94% and specific growth rate of 0.14–0.29%/day, leading to variable RRE scores among species, (2) variable growth rates among coral species based on seasonal changes in environmental conditions, (3) similar RRE scores to other nursery locations worldwide, which suggests effective practice, and (4) calculation of RRE scores for species not previously reported in nursery culture (Acropora florida, A. hoeksemai, and Echinopora horrida). Ultimately, our study supports previous findings that RRE is an effective technique for comparing coral nursery performance and offers valuable insight to guide future restoration activities in Malaysia.
Herdean, A, Hall, C, Hughes, DJ, Kuzhiumparambil, U, Diocaretz, BC & Ralph, PJ 2023, 'Temperature mapping of non-photochemical quenching in Chlorella vulgaris', Photosynthesis Research, vol. 155, no. 2, pp. 191-202.
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AbstractLight intensity and temperature independently impact all parts of the photosynthetic machinery in plants and algae. Yet to date, the vast majority of pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) chlorophyll a fluorescence measurements have been performed at well-defined light intensities, but rarely at well-defined temperatures. In this work, we show that PAM measurements performed at various temperatures produce vastly different results in the chlorophyte Chlorella vulgaris. Using a recently developed Phenoplate technique to map quantum yield of Photosystem II (Y(II)) and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) as a function of temperature, we show that the fast-relaxing NPQ follows an inverse normal distribution with respect to temperature and appears insensitive to previous temperature acclimation. The slow-relaxing or residual NPQ after 5 minutes of dark recovery follows a normal distribution similar to Y(II) but with a peak in the higher temperature range. Surprisingly, higher slow- and fast-relaxing NPQ values were observed in high-light relative to low-light acclimated cultures. Y(II) values peaked at the adaptation temperature regardless of temperature or light acclimation. Our novel findings show the complete temperature working spectrum of Y(II) and how excess energy quenching is managed across a wide range of temperatures in the model microalgal species C. vulgaris. Finally, we draw attention to the fact that the effect of the temperature component in PAM measurements has been wildly underestimated, and results from experiments at room temperature can be misleading.
Hoch, L, Herdean, A, Argyle, PA & Ralph, PJ 2023, 'High throughput phenomics for diatoms: Challenges and solutions', Progress in Oceanography, vol. 216, pp. 103074-103074.
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Howlett, L, Camp, EF, Edmondson, J, Hosp, R, Taylor, B, Coulthard, P & Suggett, DJ 2023, 'Active coral propagation outcomes on coral communities at high-value Great Barrier Reef tourism sites', Biological Conservation, vol. 279, pp. 109930-109930.
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Krishnan, S, DeMaere, MZ, Beck, D, Ostrowski, M, Seymour, JR & Darling, AE 2023, 'Rhometa: Population recombination rate estimation from metagenomic read datasets', PLOS Genetics, vol. 19, no. 3, pp. e1010683-e1010683.
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Prokaryotic evolution is influenced by the exchange of genetic information between species through a process referred to as recombination. The rate of recombination is a useful measure for the adaptive capacity of a prokaryotic population. We introduce Rhometa (https://github.com/sid-krish/Rhometa), a new software package to determine recombination rates from shotgun sequencing reads of metagenomes. It extends the composite likelihood approach for population recombination rate estimation and enables the analysis of modern short-read datasets. We evaluated Rhometa over a broad range of sequencing depths and complexities, using simulated and real experimental short-read data aligned to external reference genomes. Rhometa offers a comprehensive solution for determining population recombination rates from contemporary metagenomic read datasets. Rhometa extends the capabilities of conventional sequence-based composite likelihood population recombination rate estimators to include modern aligned metagenomic read datasets with diverse sequencing depths, thereby enabling the effective application of these techniques and their high accuracy rates to the field of metagenomics. Using simulated datasets, we show that our method performs well, with its accuracy improving with increasing numbers of genomes. Rhometa was validated on a real S. pneumoniae transformation experiment, where we show that it obtains plausible estimates of the rate of recombination. Finally, the program was also run on ocean surface water metagenomic datasets, through which we demonstrate that the program works on uncultured metagenomic datasets.
Le Reun, N, Bramucci, A, Ajani, P, Khalil, A, Raina, J-B & Seymour, JR 2023, 'Temporal variability in the growth-enhancing effects of different bacteria within the microbiome of the diatom Actinocyclus sp.', Frontiers in Microbiology, vol. 14, p. 1230349.
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Reciprocal metabolite exchanges between diatoms and bacteria can enhance the growth of both partners and therefore fundamentally influence aquatic ecosystem productivity. Here, we examined the growth-promoting capabilities of 15 different bacterial isolates from the bacterial community associated with the marine diatom Actinocyclus sp. and investigated the magnitude and timing of their effect on the growth of this diatom. In the presence of its microbiome, Actinocyclus sp. growth was significantly enhanced relative to axenic cultures. Co-culture with each of the 15 bacterial isolates examined here (seven Rhodobacteraceae, four Vibrionaceae, two Pseudoalteromonadaceae, one Oceanospirillaceae and one Alteromonadaceae) increased the growth of the diatom host, with four isolates inducing rates of growth that were similar to those delivered by the diatom’s full microbiome. However, the timing and duration of this effect differed between the different bacteria tested. Indeed, one Rhodobacteraceae and one Alteromonadaceae enhanced Actinocyclus sp. cell numbers between days 0–6 after co-incubation, five other Rhodobacteraceae promoted diatom cell numbers the most between days 8–12, whilst four Vibrionaceae, one Oceanospirillaceae and one Rhodobacteraceae enhanced Actinocyclus sp. cell abundance between days 14–16. These results are indicative of a succession of the growth-enhancing effects delivered by diverse bacteria throughout the Actinocyclus sp. life cycle, which will likely deliver sustained growth benefits to the diatom when its full microbiome is present.
Macdonald Miller, S, Herdean, A, Gupta, V, Signal, B, Abbriano, RM, Ralph, PJ & Pernice, M 2023, 'Differential gene expression in a subpopulation of Phaeodactylum tricornutum with enhanced growth and carotenoid production after FACS-mediated selection', Journal of Applied Phycology, vol. 35, no. 6, pp. 2777-2787.
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AbstractFluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting (FACS) is a powerful method with many applications in microalgal research, especially for screening and selection of cells with improved phenotypes. However, the technology requires review of gene expression changes responsible for enhanced phenotypes in sorted populations. Phaeodactylum tricornutum cells were sorted using FACS with excitation/emission parameters targeted to favouring the industrially-relevant carotenoid fucoxanthin. The resulting cultures showed significantly higher growth rate (1.10 ×), biomass (1.30 ×), chlorophyll a levels (1.22 ×) and fucoxanthin content (1.28 ×) relative to the wild-type strain. RNA-seq was used to elucidate the underlying molecular-level regulatory changes associated with these traits and represents the first study do so on FACS-sorted microalgal cultures. Transcriptome analysis corroborated evidence of increased chlorophyll a and fucoxanthin, showing enrichment for the genes/pathways for tetrapyrrole biosynthesis and for suites of genes directly related to photosynthesis. Only three genes were upregulated in the MEP (non-mevalonate) pathway to carotenoid biosynthesis pathway, suggesting either a strong influence of IDI, CRTISO5 and ZEP1 on fucoxanthin biosynthesis or a post-transcriptional or post-translational mechanism for the observed increase in fucoxanthin content.
Madin, JS, McWilliam, M, Quigley, K, Bay, LK, Bellwood, D, Doropoulos, C, Fernandes, L, Harrison, P, Hoey, AS, Mumby, PJ, Ortiz, JC, Richards, ZT, Riginos, C, Schiettekatte, NMD, Suggett, DJ & van Oppen, MJH 2023, 'Selecting coral species for reef restoration', Journal of Applied Ecology, vol. 60, no. 8, pp. 1537-1544.
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AbstractHumans have long sought to restore species but little attention has been directed at how to best select a subset of foundation species for maintaining rich assemblages that support ecosystems, like coral reefs and rainforests, which are increasingly threatened by environmental change.We propose a two‐part hedging approach that selects optimized sets of species for restoration. The first part acknowledges that biodiversity supports ecosystem functions and services, and so it ensures precaution against loss by allocating an even spread of phenotypic traits. The second part maximizes species and ecosystem persistence by weighting species based on characteristics that are known to improve ecological persistence—for example abundance, species range and tolerance to environmental change.Using existing phenotypic‐trait and ecological data for reef building corals, we identified sets of ecologically persistent species by examining marginal returns in occupancy of phenotypic trait space. We compared optimal sets of species with those from the world's southern‐most coral reef, which naturally harbours low coral diversity, to show these occupy much of the trait space. Comparison with an existing coral restoration program indicated that current corals used for restoration only cover part of the desired trait space and programs may be improved by including species with different traits.Synthesis and applications. While there are many possible criteria for selecting species for restoration, the approach proposed here addresses the need to insure against unpredictable losses of ecosystem services by focusing on a wide range of phenotypic traits and ecological characteristics. Furthermore, the flexibility of the...
Matthews, JL, Hoch, L, Raina, J-B, Pablo, M, Hughes, DJ, Camp, EF, Seymour, JR, Ralph, PJ, Suggett, DJ & Herdean, A 2023, 'Symbiodiniaceae photophysiology and stress resilience is enhanced by microbial associations', Scientific Reports, vol. 13, no. 1, p. 20724.
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AbstractSymbiodiniaceae form associations with extra- and intracellular bacterial symbionts, both in culture and in symbiosis with corals. Bacterial associates can regulate Symbiodiniaceae fitness in terms of growth, calcification and photophysiology. However, the influence of these bacteria on interactive stressors, such as temperature and light, which are known to influence Symbiodiniaceae physiology, remains unclear. Here, we examined the photophysiological response of two Symbiodiniaceae species (Symbiodinium microadriaticum and Breviolum minutum) cultured under acute temperature and light stress with specific bacterial partners from their microbiome (Labrenzia (Roseibium) alexandrii, Marinobacter adhaerens or Muricauda aquimarina). Overall, bacterial presence positively impacted Symbiodiniaceae core photosynthetic health (photosystem II [PSII] quantum yield) and photoprotective capacity (non-photochemical quenching; NPQ) compared to cultures with all extracellular bacteria removed, although specific benefits were variable across Symbiodiniaceae genera and growth phase. Symbiodiniaceae co-cultured with M. aquimarina displayed an inverse NPQ response under high temperatures and light, and those with L. alexandrii demonstrated a lowered threshold for induction of NPQ, potentially through the provision of antioxidant compounds such as zeaxanthin (produced by Muricauda spp.) and dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP; produced by this strain of L. alexandrii). Our co-culture approach empirically demonstrates the benefits bacteria can deliver to Symbiodiniaceae photochemical performance, providing evidence tha...
Matthews, JL, Khalil, A, Siboni, N, Bougoure, J, Guagliardo, P, Kuzhiumparambil, U, DeMaere, M, Le Reun, NM, Seymour, JR, Suggett, DJ & Raina, J-B 2023, 'Coral endosymbiont growth is enhanced by metabolic interactions with bacteria', Nature Communications, vol. 14, no. 1, p. 6864.
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AbstractBacteria are key contributors to microalgae resource acquisition, competitive performance, and functional diversity, but their potential metabolic interactions with coral microalgal endosymbionts (Symbiodiniaceae) have been largely overlooked. Here, we show that altering the bacterial composition of two widespread Symbiodiniaceae species, during their free-living stage, results in a significant shift in their cellular metabolism. Indeed, the abundance of monosaccharides and the key phytohormone indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) were correlated with the presence of specific bacteria, including members of the Labrenzia (Roseibium) and Marinobacter genera. Single-cell stable isotope tracking revealed that these two bacterial genera are involved in reciprocal exchanges of carbon and nitrogen with Symbiodiniaceae. We identified the provision of IAA by Labrenzia and Marinobacter, and this metabolite caused a significant growth enhancement of Symbiodiniaceae. By unravelling these interkingdom interactions, our work demonstrates how specific bacterial associates fundamentally govern Symbiodiniaceae fitness.
Mirakhorli, F, Razavi Bazaz, S, Warkiani, ME & Ralph, PJ 2023, 'Ultra-high throughput microfluidic concentrator for harvesting of Tetraselmis sp. (Chlorodendrophyceae, Chlorophyta)', Algal Research, vol. 72, pp. 103145-103145.
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Nguyen, HM, Ruocco, M, Dattolo, E, Cassetti, FP, Calvo, S, Tomasello, A, Marín‐Guirao, L, Pernice, M & Procaccini, G 2023, 'Signs of local adaptation by genetic selection and isolation promoted by extreme temperature and salinity in the Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica', Molecular Ecology, vol. 32, no. 15, pp. 4313-4328.
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AbstractAdaptation to local conditions is known to occur in seagrasses; however, knowledge of the genetic basis underlying this phenomenon remains scarce. Here, we analysed Posidonia oceanica from six sites within and around the Stagnone di Marsala, a semi‐enclosed coastal lagoon where salinity and temperature exceed the generally described tolerance thresholds of the species. Sea surface temperatures (SSTs) were measured and plant samples were collected for the assessment of morphology, flowering rate and for screening genome‐wide polymorphisms using double digest restriction‐site‐associated DNA sequencing. Results demonstrated more extreme SSTs and salinity levels inside the lagoon than the outer lagoon regions. Morphological results showed significantly fewer and shorter leaves and reduced rhizome growth of P. oceanica from the inner lagoon and past flowering events were recorded only for a meadow farthest away from the lagoon. Using an array of 51,329 single nucleotide polymorphisms, we revealed a clear genetic structure among the study sites and confirmed the genetic isolation and high clonality of the innermost site. In all, 14 outlier loci were identified and annotated with several proteins including those relate to plant stress response, protein transport and regulators of plant‐specific developmental events. Especially, five outlier loci showed maximum allele frequency at the innermost site, likely reflecting adaptation to the extreme temperature and salinity regimes, possibly due to the selection of more resistant genotypes and the progressive restriction of gene flow. Overall, this study helps us to disentangle the genetic basis of seagrass adaptation to local environmental conditions and may support future works on assisted evolution in seagrasses.
Nguyen, LN, Vu, MT, Vu, HP, Johir, MAH, Labeeuw, L, Ralph, PJ, Mahlia, TMI, Pandey, A, Sirohi, R & Nghiem, LD 2023, 'Microalgae-based carbon capture and utilization: A critical review on current system developments and biomass utilization', Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, vol. 53, no. 2, pp. 216-238.
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Carbon capture and utilization (CCU) is an emerging technology with commercial potential to convert atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) into net zero or negative emission products. In microalgae-based CCU, microalgae utilize CO2 and sunlight to generate biomass for commercial applications. This paper reviews the current state of microalgal culture development for CCU and highlights its potential contribution to addressing climate change challenges. Current microalgal culture systems have not been designed for high throughput biomass growth and carbon capture. Raceways, high-rate algal ponds, and photobioreactors are the most widely used for microalgal cultivation at a large-scale. The limitations of these systems are related to microalgal growth requirements. Ponds are operated at narrow depth to ensure sufficient light distribution and thus need a large land surface. CO2 gas needs to be in a dissolved form for efficient utilization by microalgae. Innovative system designs to achieve optimized distribution of light, nutrient, and CO2 utilization for enhanced biomass production are crucial to achieve large-scale CO2 capture by microalgae. Data corroborated in this review highlights several innovative techniques to deliver CO2 effectively and enhance light illumination to microalgal cells. Submerged and internal illuminations can enhance light distribution without compromising culture volume and land requirements. CO2 delivery technique selections mainly depend on CO2 sources. The carbonation column appears to be the best option regarding efficiency, easy operation, and simple design. The downstream processes of microalgal culture (i.e. harvesting, biomass utilization, and water reuse) are important to make microalgae-based CCU a significant contribution to global carbon mitigation solutions.
O’Brien, L, Siboni, N, Seymour, JR, Balzer, M & Mitrovic, S 2023, 'Tributary Inflows to a Regulated River Influence Bacterial Communities and Increase Bacterial Carbon Assimilation', Microbial Ecology, vol. 86, no. 4, pp. 2642-2654.
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AbstractInflows from unregulated tributaries change the physical, chemical, and biotic conditions in receiving regulated rivers, impacting microbial community structure and metabolic function. Understanding how tributary inflows affect bacterial carbon production (BCP) is integral to understanding energy transfer in riverine ecosystems. To investigate the role of tributary inflows on bacterial community composition and BCP, a ~90th percentile natural flow event was sampled over 5 days along the Lachlan River and its tributaries within the Murray-Darling Basin of eastern Australia. Increased tributary inflows after rainfall corresponded with a significantly different and more diverse bacterial community in the regulated mainstem. The major contributor to this difference was an increase in relative abundance of bacterial groups with a potential metabolic preference for humic substances (Burkholderiaceae Polynucleobacter, Alcaligenaceae GKS98 freshwater group, Saccharimonadia) and a significant decrease in Spirosomaceae Pseudarcicella, known to metabolise algal exudates. Increases in orthophosphate and river discharge explained 31% of community change, suggesting a combination of resource delivery and microbial community coalescence as major drivers. BCP initially decreased significantly with tributary inflows, but the total load of carbon assimilated by bacteria increased by up to 20 times with flow due to increased water volume. The significant drivers of BCP were dissolved organic carbon, water temperature, and conductivity. Notably, BCP was not correlated with bacterial diversity or community composition. Tributary inflows were shown to alter mainstem bacterial community structure and metabolic function to take advantage of fresh terrestrial dissolved organic material, resulting in substantial changes to riverine carbon assimilation over sm...
Ortega, JS, Corrales-Orovio, R, Ralph, P, Egaña, JT & Gentile, C 2023, 'Photosynthetic microorganisms for the oxygenation of advanced 3D bioprinted tissues', Acta Biomaterialia, vol. 165, pp. 180-196.
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3D bioprinting technology has emerged as a tool that promises to revolutionize the biomedical field, including tissue engineering and regeneration. Despite major technological advancements, several challenges remain to be solved before 3D bioprinted tissues could be fully translated from the bench to the bedside. As oxygen plays a key role in aerobic metabolism, which allows energy production in the mitochondria; as a consequence, the lack of tissue oxygenation is one of the main limitations of current bioprinted tissues and organs. In order to improve tissue oxygenation, recent approaches have been established for a broad range of clinical applications, with some already applied using 3D bioprinting technologies. Among them, the incorporation of photosynthetic microorganisms, such as microalgae and cyanobacteria, is a promising approach that has been recently explored to generate chimerical plant-animal tissues where, upon light exposure, oxygen can be produced and released in a localized and controlled manner. This review will briefly summarize the state-of-the-art approaches to improve tissue oxygenation, as well as studies describing the use of photosynthetic microorganisms in 3D bioprinting technologies. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: 3D bioprinting technology has emerged as a tool for the generation of viable and functional tissues for direct in vitro and in vivo applications, including disease modeling, drug discovery and regenerative medicine. Despite the latest advancements in this field, suboptimal oxygen delivery to cells before, during and after the bioprinting process limits their viability within 3D bioprinted tissues. This review article first highlights state-of-the-art approaches used to improve oxygen delivery in bioengineered tissues to overcome this challenge. Then, it focuses on the emerging roles played by photosynthetic organisms as novel biomaterials for bioink generation. Finally, it provides considerations around current challenges...
Osborne, B, Siboni, N, Seymour, JR, Ralph, P & Pernice, M 2023, 'Exploring the potential of algae-bacteria interactions in the biocontrol of the marine pathogen Vibrio parahaemolyticus', Journal of Applied Phycology, vol. 35, no. 6, pp. 2731-2743.
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AbstractThe marine bacterium Vibrio parahaemolyticus is the leading cause of seafood-related food poisoning worldwide and a pathogen of marine species harvested in aquaculture. An outbreak of pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus within crustacean and bi-valve aquaculture facilities often results in significant loss of farmed product and in the spread of the pathogen into the human population. Evidence shows several marine bacteria and microalgae species have antibacterial effects against marine pathogens, including V. parahaemolyticus. This study explored the potential of combining possible mutualistic species as a consortium to enhance antibacterial properties against V. parahaemolyticus. Marine bacteria and microalgae were screened with the aim of identifying those able to successfully coexist while demonstrating growth suppression of multiple V. parahaemolyticus strains. This trial involved four screening phases to find effective inhibitor species and to gain insight into species-specific influences on cell growth. The combination of Tetraselmis sp. and Pseudoalteromonas peptidolytica achieved the greatest inhibition rate of V. parahaemolyticus of all combinations. This pairing resulted in the significant reduction of up to 24 ± 15% in Vibrio sp. copy number mL−1 day−1 in two of the five examined V. parahaemolyticus strains within five days, compared to control cultures absent of probiotic bacteria. Applying probiotic consortia such as this has the potential for use as a biocontrol technique within mariculture, but it will require additional research into the self-sustainability of successful consortia in natural aqua...
Price, S, Kuzhiumparambil, U, Pernice, M, Herdean, A & Ralph, P 2023, 'Enhancement of cyanobacterial PHB production using random chemical mutagenesis with detection through FACS', Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering, vol. 46, no. 2, pp. 297-306.
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Quigley, KM, Alvarez-Roa, C, Raina, J-B, Pernice, M & van Oppen, MJH 2023, 'Heat-evolved microalgal symbionts increase thermal bleaching tolerance of coral juveniles without a trade-off against growth', Coral Reefs, vol. 42, no. 6, pp. 1227-1232.
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AbstractGlobal climate change is threatening the persistence of coral reefs as associated summer heatwaves trigger the loss of microalgal endosymbionts (Symbiodiniaceae) from the coral tissues, or coral bleaching. We infected aposymbiotic juveniles of the coral Acropora tenuis with either wildtype (WT10) or heat-evolved (SS1 or SS8) Symbiodiniaceae strains Cladocopium proliferum (formerly referred to as Cladocopium goreaui and Cladocopium C1acro). After 10 months at 27 °C, SS8-juveniles were 2 × larger than SS1- or WT10-juveniles. In response to a simulated heatwave (31 °C for 41 days), the WT10-juveniles bleached and showed a decline in respiration while cell densities and respiration in both SS-juvenile groups remained unchanged compared to the controls. These results reveal that some heat-evolved strains can increase the bleaching tolerance of juvenile corals without a trade-off against growth. This response is opposite to the lower nutrient provisioning often reported for naturally thermotolerant Symbiodiniaceae (e.g. genus Durusdinium), thereby offering enhanced fitness to the host without the ecological consequences of diminished growth.
Rayamajhee, B, Williams, NLR, Siboni, N, Rodgers, K, Willcox, M, Henriquez, FL, Seymour, JR, Potts, J, Johnson, C, Scanes, P & Carnt, N 2023, 'Identification and quantification of Acanthamoeba spp. within seawater at four coastal lagoons on the east coast of Australia', Science of The Total Environment, vol. 901, pp. 165862-165862.
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Rebej, M, Juřena, T, Vondál, J, Fuente Herraiz, D, Červený, J & Jegla, Z 2023, 'Numerical simulations and validation of single- and two-phase flow in a stirred lab-scale photobioreactor', Biosystems Engineering, vol. 230, pp. 35-50.
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Rodrigues, JS, Kovács, L, Lukeš, M, Höper, R, Steuer, R, Červený, J, Lindberg, P & Zavřel, T 2023, 'Characterizing isoprene production in cyanobacteria – Insights into the effects of light, temperature, and isoprene on Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803', Bioresource Technology, vol. 380, pp. 129068-129068.
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Ross, P, Scanes, E, Byrne, M, Ainsworth, T, Donelson, J, Foo, S, Hutchings, P, Thiyagarajan, V & Parker, L 2023, 'Surviving the Anthropocene: The Resilience of Marine Animals to Climate Change', Oceanography and Marine Biology.
Ross, PM, Scanes, E & Locke, W 2023, 'Stress adaptation and resilience of academics in higher education', Asia Pacific Education Review.
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AbstractAcademics in higher education around the world indicate high levels of stress from multiple sources. The COVID-19 pandemic has only served to intensify stress levels. Adaptation and resilience are needed if academics, particularly those focused on education and teaching, are to endure, learn, andbounce backduring this era of stress and contribute to education quality and student learning. This review is organized to answer two key questions. First, what are the main forms of stress for academics, especially those focused on education and teaching? Second, what are the responses of academics to stress and is the concept of resilience relevant to understand the consequences for academic careers oriented toward education and education quality? To answer these questions, we first critically review the literature on the responses of academics to stress and the concept of resilience, which has been employed by multiple disciplines, including teacher education. We then broadly define the resilience of academics as their capacity to learn from and adapt to stress; our definition is perhaps less about individual personality characteristics and more associated with the relational aspect of the socioecological higher education ecosystem. There are, however, limits to resilience and its potential effects on education quality and student learning. Given higher education’s adverse operating environment and the significant contributions of academics to the knowledge economy and graduate quality, understanding and building the resilience of academics to adapt and succeed has never been more critical.
Scanes, E & Byrne, M 2023, 'Warming and hypoxia threaten a valuable scallop fishery: A warning for commercial bivalve ventures in climate change hotspots', Global Change Biology, vol. 29, no. 8, pp. 2043-2045.
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AbstractMarine molluscs constitute the second largest marine fishery and are often caught in coastal and estuarine habitats. Temperature is increasing in these habitats at a rate greater than predicted, especially in warming “hotspots”. This warming is accompanied by hypoxia in a duo of stressors that threatens coastal mollusc fisheries and aquaculture. Collapses of the northern bay scallop (Argopecten irradians irradians) fisheries on the Atlantic coast of the USA are likely to be driven by rapid rates of coastal warming and may provide an ominous glimpse into the prospects of other coastal mollusc fisheries in climate warming hotspots.
Scanes, E, O’Connor, WA, Seymour, JR, Siboni, N, Parker, LM & Ross, PM 2023, 'Emerging diseases in Australian oysters and the challenges of climate change and uncertain futures', Australian Zoologist.
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ABSTRACT Oysters are a valuable and iconic seafood, deeply rooted in Australian culture. However, oysters have always been vulnerable to disease, with disease outbreaks leading to mass mortality events that regularly cost the oyster aquaculture industry millions of dollars and affect livelihoods. Notably, there is evidence that climate change is rapidly causing the emergence of new diseases alongside the amplification of impacts of existing diseases. This is because warming, acidification and freshening of coastal and estuarine habitats is affecting the three axes of disease; the host, the external environment and the pathogens. Here we explore how climate change is likely to impact all three axes of disease in Australian oyster aquaculture. Climate change is affecting oyster physiology, leading to weaker immune defences that allow for increased susceptibility to viral and bacterial infections. For example, there is evidence that recent heavy rain events precede oyster disease in estuaries. In addition, climate change is increasing the abundance and virulence of bacterial and viral pathogens, potentially resulting in the introduction of novel disease into new habitats. In order to remain viable, we suggest that the Australian oyster industry needs to enhance selective breeding programs currently underway with a diversification of products and research on emerging diseases to ensure resilience in the sector.
Scanes, E, Ross, PM, Seymour, JR, Siboni, N, Dove, MC, O'Connor, WA, Dittes, C & Parker, LM 2023, 'Transgenerational transfer of the microbiome is altered by ocean acidification in oyster larvae', Aquaculture, vol. 565, pp. 739153-739153.
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Ocean acidification will affect marine molluscs, however, transgenerational plasticity (TGP) can ameliorate some effects. Marine molluscs acquire members of their microbiome via the egg, yet we know little about how the microbiome can be influenced by transgenerational exposure to ocean acidification. We exposed adult Sydney Rock oysters (Saccostrea glomerata) from four genotypes to elevated and ambient PCO2 for nine weeks. Larvae were then raised in the same ambient and elevated PCO2 conditions. The relative abundance of bacteria in eggs and larvae were characterised using 16S RNA amplicon sequencing. Parental exposure to elevated PCO2 significantly altered the bacterial community composition of both eggs and larvae, but this was dependent on genotype. Parental exposure to elevated PCO2 caused five core Rhodobacteraceae ASVs to increase in relative abundance, and three Rhodobacteraceae ASVs to decrease in relative abundance. These findings show transfer of maternal microbiomes to larvae is altered by exposure to ocean acidification and this may play a role in TGP.
Scanes, E, Siboni, N, Rees, B & Seymour, JR 2023, 'Acclimation in intertidal animals reduces potential pathogen load and increases survival following a heatwave', iScience, vol. 26, no. 6, pp. 106813-106813.
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Intertidal animals can experience intense heat during a heatwave, leading to mortality. The causes of death for intertidal animals following heatwaves have often been attributed to a breakdown in physiological processes. This, however, contrasts with research in other animals where heatwave mortality is attributed to existing or opportunistic diseases. We acclimated intertidal oysters to four treatment levels, including an antibiotic treatment, and then exposed all treatments to a 50°C heatwave for 2 h, replicating what can be experienced on Australian shorelines. We found that both acclimation and antibiotics increased survival and reduced the presence of potential pathogens. Non-acclimated oysters had a significant shift in their microbiome, with increasing abundances of bacteria from the Vibrio genera, including known potential pathogens. Our results demonstrate that bacterial infection plays a pivotal role in post-heatwave mortality. We anticipate these findings to inform the management of aquaculture and intertidal habitats as climate change intensifies.
Stelling-Wood, TP, Gribben, PE, Birch, G, Bishop, MJ, Blount, C, Booth, DJ, Brown, C, Bruce, E, Bugnot, AB, Byrne, M, Creese, RG, Dafforn, KA, Dahlenburg, J, Doblin, MA, Fellowes, TE, Fowler, AM, Gibbs, MC, Glamore, W, Glasby, TM, Hay, AC, Kelaher, B, Knott, NA, Larkum, AWD, Parker, LM, Marzinelli, EM, Mayer-Pinto, M, Morgan, B, Murray, SA, Rees, MJ, Ross, PM, Roughan, M, Saintilan, N, Scanes, E, Seymour, JR, Schaefer, N, Suthers, IM, Taylor, MD, Williamson, JE, Vila Concejo, A, Whittington, RJ & Figueira, WF 2023, 'A deep dive into the ecology of Gamay (Botany Bay, Australia): current knowledge and future priorities for this highly modified coastal waterway', Marine and Freshwater Research, vol. 74, no. 12, pp. 1003-1025.
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Context Gamay is a coastal waterway of immense social, cultural and ecological value. Since European settlement, it has become a hub for industrialisation and human modification. There is growing desire for ecosystem-level management of urban waterways, but such efforts are often challenged by a lack of integrated knowledge. Aim and methods We systematically reviewed published literature and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), and consulted scientists to produce a review of Gamay that synthesises published knowledge of Gamay’s aquatic ecosystem to identify knowledge gaps and future research opportunities. Key results We found 577 published resources on Gamay, of which over 70% focused on ecology. Intertidal rocky shores were the most studied habitat, focusing on invertebrate communities. Few studies considered multiple habitats or taxa. Studies investigating cumulative human impacts, long-term trends and habitat connectivity are lacking, and the broader ecological role of artificial substrate as habitat in Gamay is poorly understood. TEK of Gamay remains a significant knowledge gap. Habitat restoration has shown promising results and could provide opportunities to improve affected habitats in the future. Conclusion and implications This review highlights the extensive amount of knowledge that exists for Gamay, but also identifies key gaps that need to be filled for effective management.
Strudwick, P, Seymour, J, Camp, EF, Roper, C, Edmondson, J, Howlett, L & Suggett, DJ 2023, 'Bacterial communities associated with corals out-planted on the Great Barrier Reef are inherently dynamic over space and time', Marine Biology, vol. 170, no. 7.
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AbstractCoral propagation and out-planting are becoming commonly adopted as part of reef stewardship strategies aimed at improving reef resilience through enhanced natural recovery and rehabilitation. The coral microbiome has a crucial role in the success of the coral holobiont and can be impacted shortly after out-planting. However, long-term characterisation of the out-plant microbiome in relation to out-plant survival, and how these properties vary across reef sites, is unexplored. Therefore, at three reef sites on Opal Reef, Great Barrier Reef (Mojo, Sandbox and Rayban, 16°12′18″S 145°53′54″E), we examined bacterial communities associated with out-planted Acropora millepora coral and monitored coral survival over 12 months (February 2021–22). Bacterial communities of out-planted corals exhibited significant changes from donor colonies 7 days to 1.5 months after out-planting. Further, bacterial community composition differed for sites Sandbox and Rayban with low overall survival (0–43%) versus Mojo with higher overall survival (47–75%). After initial dissimilarity in bacterial communities of out-plants across sites at 1.5 months, and despite changes within sites over time, out-plants exhibited similar microbial communities across sites at 7 days and 6, 9 and 12 months. We hypothesise these trends reflect how bacterial communities are shaped by rapid changes in local environmental characteristics (e.g. from source to out-planting site), where out-plant bacterial communities ‘conform’ to out-planting site conditions. After initial changes, out-plant bacterial communities may then be under the influence of global environmental conditions—such as annual trends in temperature across seasons. Such outcomes indicate the importance of site selection in shaping initial coral bacterial communities and subsequent out-plant success. Importantly, continued differences in out-plant survival trajectory but...
Suggett, DJ, Edwards, M, Cotton, D, Hein, M & Camp, EF 2023, 'An integrative framework for sustainable coral reef restoration', One Earth, vol. 6, no. 6, pp. 666-681.
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Suzzi, AL, Stat, M, Gaston, TF, Siboni, N, Williams, NLR, Seymour, JR & Huggett, MJ 2023, 'Elevated estuary water temperature drives fish gut dysbiosis and increased loads of pathogenic vibrionaceae', Environmental Research, vol. 219, pp. 115144-115144.
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Thanh, NL, Nguyet, NLH, Le, VG, Thuy, NT, Phong, VHN, Que, VNX, Hang, VT & Huy, NN 2023, 'Optimization process for enhancing the recovery of ammonium and phosphate from wastewater by modified rice husk biochar', Engineering and Applied Science Research, vol. 50, no. 2, pp. 185-194.
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This study aimed to optimize the recovery of ammonium and phosphate from wastewater using Mg-modified biochar as an adsorbent. Given the situation of domestic wastewater and agricultural waste in Vietnam, the researchers fabricated biochar from rice husk and modified it with magnesium salt to make it an effective material for wastewater treatment. To determine the optimal conditions for the experiments, the response surface methodology was used, specifically the central composite design (CCD) model with four factors, namely biochar dosage (g/L), pH, N:P ratio, and initial concentrations of NH4+ and PO43-. The material was thoroughly characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to ensure that it met the desired specifications. Based on the experimental design, the optimal conditions were determined to be a biochar dosage of 0.12 g/L, an N:P ratio of 1.25, an initial concentration of 60 mg/L, and a pH of 6. Tests conducted in synthetic wastewater produced results that were in agreement with the predicted values. However, when the optimized values were tested in domestic wastewater, only phosphate removal showed good agreement with an efficiency of 93% compared to the predicted optimization value of 88%. This study demonstrates the potential of Mg-modified biochar as an effective adsorbent for recovering ammonium and phosphate from wastewater. Although further optimization may be required for ammonium removal in domestic wastewater, the results are promising and warrant further investigation.
van Oppen, MJH & Raina, J 2023, 'Coral holobiont research needs spatial analyses at the microbial scale', Environmental Microbiology, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 179-183.
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Vlaanderen, EJ, Ghaly, TM, Moore, LR, Focardi, A, Paulsen, IT & Tetu, SG 2023, 'Plastic leachate exposure drives antibiotic resistance and virulence in marine bacterial communities', Environmental Pollution, vol. 327, pp. 121558-121558.
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Vo, PHN, Buckley, T, Xu, X, Nguyen, TMH, Rudolph, V & Shukla, P 2023, 'Foam fractionation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in landfill leachate using different cosurfactants', Chemosphere, vol. 310, pp. 136869-136869.
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Vo, PHN, Hamilton, BR, Wepf, RA, Key, TA, Nguyen, TMH, Thai, PK, Thomas, K & Mueller, JF 2023, 'Visualization of the Distribution of PFOS and PFHxS in Concrete by DESI MSI', Environmental Science & Technology Letters, vol. 10, no. 5, pp. 446-451.
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Vo, PHN, Key, TA, Le, TH, McDonough, JT, Porman, S, Fiorenza, S, Nguyen, HTM, Dao, VTN, Mueller, JF & Thai, PK 2023, 'Evaluation of sealants to mitigate the release of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from AFFF-impacted concrete: Characterization and forecasting', Water Research X, vol. 20, pp. 100195-100195.
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Vo, PHN, Tscharke, B, Toft, S, Madsen, C, Nguyen, KQ, Nguyen, HTM, Bui, XT, Li, J & Thai, PK 2023, 'Spatiotemporal trends and impact of Covid-19 lockdown on eight sewage contaminants in Brisbane, Australia, from 2012 to 2020', Chemosphere, vol. 314, pp. 137702-137702.
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Walworth, NG, Espinoza, JL, Argyle, PA, Hinners, J, Levine, NM, Doblin, MA, Dupont, CL & Collins, S 2023, 'Genus-Wide Transcriptional Landscapes Reveal Correlated Gene Networks Underlying Microevolutionary Divergence in Diatoms', Molecular Biology and Evolution, vol. 40, no. 10.
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Abstract Marine microbes like diatoms make up the base of marine food webs and drive global nutrient cycles. Despite their key roles in ecology, biogeochemistry, and biotechnology, we have limited empirical data on how forces other than adaptation may drive diatom diversification, especially in the absence of environmental change. One key feature of diatom populations is frequent extreme reductions in population size, which can occur both in situ and ex situ as part of bloom-and-bust growth dynamics. This can drive divergence between closely related lineages, even in the absence of environmental differences. Here, we combine experimental evolution and transcriptome landscapes (t-scapes) to reveal repeated evolutionary divergence within several species of diatoms in a constant environment. We show that most of the transcriptional divergence can be captured on a reduced set of axes, and that repeatable evolution can occur along a single major axis of variation defined by core ortholog expression comprising common metabolic pathways. Previous work has associated specific transcriptional changes in gene networks with environmental factors. Here, we find that these same gene networks diverge in the absence of environmental change, suggesting these pathways may be central in generating phenotypic diversity as a result of both selective and random evolutionary forces. If this is the case, these genes and the functions they encode may represent universal axes of variation. Such axes that capture suites of interacting transcriptional changes during diversification improve our understanding of both global patterns in local adaptation and microdiversity, as well as evolutionary forces shaping algal cultivation.
Zavafer, A, Bates, H, Mancilla, C & Ralph, PJ 2023, 'Phenomics: conceptualization and importance for plant physiology', Trends in Plant Science, vol. 28, no. 9, pp. 1004-1013.
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Zheng, L, Xiong, Y, Gao, Y, Yin, F, Szczygiełda, M, Krajewska, M, Vo, PHN, Jiang, C & Liu, H 2023, 'Tailoring the draw solution chemistry in the integrated electro-Fenton and forward osmosis for enhancing emerging contaminants removal: Performance, DFT calculation and degradation pathway', Science of The Total Environment, vol. 872, pp. 162155-162155.
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