11th ICRS Abstract book - Nova Southeastern University
11th ICRS Abstract book - Nova Southeastern University
11th ICRS Abstract book - Nova Southeastern University
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8.234<br />
Functional Diversity of Microbial Communities Associated with the Mucus of<br />
Scleractinians around Moorea (French Polynesia)<br />
Ophélie LADRIÈRE* 1 , Laetitia THEUNIS 1 , Annick WILMOTTE 2 , Mathieu<br />
POULICEK 1<br />
1 Unit of Marine Ecology, Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Ecotoxicology, <strong>University</strong><br />
of Liège, Liège, Belgium, 2 Unit of Cyanobacteria, Centre for Protein Engineering,<br />
<strong>University</strong> of Liège, Liège, Benin<br />
Mucus production by scleractinians appears as an antifouling mechanism which prevents<br />
settlement of other organisms and accumulation of sediments on their surface. This<br />
Surface Muccopolysaccharide Layer (SML) harbours dense populations of bacteria<br />
which play a paramount role in scleractinians nutrition, metabolism and good health<br />
maintenance. However, environmental disturbances can alter these microbiocenoses.<br />
Characterization of bacterial communities was carried out using a set of simple<br />
techniques that enable us to describe the state and functions of whole microbial<br />
communities associated with different hard coral species. Multi-comparisons have been<br />
performed on bacterial communities from open water, interstitial water, sedimentary<br />
interface and macro algae as well as between healthy and bleached colonies, and patches<br />
associated or not with Pomacentridae fishes.<br />
The functional study included measurements of bacterial biomass, respiration, oxydative<br />
and hydrolytic metabolisms. Non-Fungiidae corals and sedimentary interface have a quite<br />
similar bacterial biomass but open water, interstitial water and macro-algae are<br />
characterized by higher bacterial biomass. Bacterial respiration potential is similar on<br />
corals and at the sedimentary interface, but it is higher in interstitial water and lower in<br />
open water and for bacterial community associated with macro-algae. Hydrolytic<br />
activities are highest in SML.<br />
Bleached corals and patches associated with Pomacentridae fishes show more abundant<br />
bacteria, with higher respiration rate and higher hydrolytic activity than corals without<br />
fishes and healthy ones. In addition, bacteria of bleached corals display a higher division<br />
percentage, a higher growth rate and a lower turn-over time<br />
We confirmed that bleaching events or the presence of sedentary fishes modify the<br />
bacterial communities structure and affect relationships between coral, endosymbiotic<br />
algae, SML-associated microbial community and associated organisms. Such results<br />
highlight that SML-bacterial communities are modified by bleaching and raise the<br />
question of a potential protection of fishes against pathogens.<br />
8.235<br />
Prokaryotic Diversity Associated With Brazilian Corals<br />
Monica LINS-DE-BARROS* 1 , Ricardo P. VIEIRA 2 , Ricardo COUTINHO 1 , Maysa<br />
B.M. CLEMENTINO 3 , Alexander M. CARDOSO 2 , Aline TURQUE 2 , Cynthia B.<br />
SILVEIRA 2 , Vívian A. MONTEIRO 2 , Orlando B. MARTINS 2<br />
1 Instituto de Pesquisas do Mar Almirante Paulo Moreira (IEAPM), Arraial do Cabo,<br />
Brazil, 2 Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 3 Instituto<br />
Nacional de Controle de Qualidade em Saúde (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil<br />
Reef-building corals associate with a diverse array of microorganisms. Best known are<br />
dinoflagellates in the genus Symbiodinium ("zooxanthellae"), but studies indicate that<br />
individual coral colonies also host diverse assemblages of Bacteria and Archaea, some of<br />
which seem to have species-specific associations. The diversity of microbial associates<br />
has important evolutionary and ecological implications. Recent studies report the<br />
influence of these microorganisms as agents of coral diseases, such as coral bleaching.<br />
The present study aims to determine the diversity of the prokaryotic community structure<br />
associated with two Brazilian coral species, Siderastrea stellata and Mussismilia hispida.<br />
These species are characterized by different physiological responses to bleaching, the<br />
former being considered more resistant. Samples of colonies of both species were<br />
colleted from Tartaruga beach, in Búzios, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (22o45`S; 41o54`W).<br />
Mitochondrial DNA sequences of the COI gene were determined for the two species and<br />
submitted to GenBank. The diversity of Bacteria and Archaea communities was analyzed<br />
using 16S ribosomal RNA surveys. Preliminary results indicated similar Archaea<br />
communities between the two coral species, including representatives from the marine<br />
Crenarchaeota, which are also reported as associates on tissue and mucus of other corals<br />
species. Further surveys, already in progress, aim to determine the bacterial community<br />
associated with these two coral species, which appear to form more species-specific<br />
associations with reef-building corals. Microorganism of bleach and unbleached corals<br />
are being also analyzed to detect agents potentially responsible to coral bleaching. This<br />
study represents the first report on Archaea diversity associated with Brazilian coral<br />
species.<br />
Poster Mini-Symposium 8: Coral Microbial Interactions<br />
8.236<br />
Coral Associated Microbial Community Diversity: Differences Between Impacted And<br />
Non-Impacted Reefs in Se Sulawesi, Indonesia.<br />
Corinne WHITBY 1 , Boyd MCKEW 1 , Leanne HEPBURN* 1<br />
1 Biological Sciences, <strong>University</strong> of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom<br />
Microorganisms are of fundamental importance in reef systems through their role in<br />
carbon/nitrogen cycling, possible roles in nutrition and possible causal agents of coral disease.<br />
However, there is a paucity of information on the temporal and spatial changes in relation to<br />
habitat quality for the microbial populations associated with Indo-Pacific reefs. Coral mucus<br />
samples were collected from Acropora spp. and Porites spp. from both a non-impacted and an<br />
impacted reef, which was light-limited with a high sediment loading. Differences in bacterial<br />
community structure were characterised by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE)<br />
analysis of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA genes. Both coral species harboured diverse microbial<br />
communities, which were distinct from the surrounding seawater. Whilst greater similarities<br />
were observed between bacterial communities associated with coral colonies of the same<br />
species, DGGE profiles of communities from the two different sites were clearly distinct. These<br />
results suggest that whilst each coral species harbours a distinct bacterial community,<br />
environmental conditions also play a role in determining the bacterial community structure.<br />
This study contributes to the understanding of microbial communities associated with corals<br />
and the factors that may cause changes in microbial diversity, which may ultimately have<br />
implications on coral health.<br />
8.237<br />
Coral-Bacterial Associations Vary Under Environmental And Experimental Conditions<br />
Tracy AINSWORTH* 1 , Ove HOEGH-GULDBERG 2<br />
1 ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook <strong>University</strong>, Townsville,<br />
Australia, 2 ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, <strong>University</strong> of Queensland,<br />
Brisbane, Australia<br />
The coral holobiont model proposes coral bacterial communities, in addition to symbiotic<br />
dinoflagellates, are an integral component of reef building corals. Documenting the natural<br />
diversity of bacterial communities within and closely associated to coral tissues provides<br />
information on the role and interaction of bacteria within the coral holobiont. Here investigate<br />
bacterial associations with coral tissues in both normal environmental and experimental<br />
conditions. This study aims to determine how these important interactions can vary as a result<br />
of experimental handling (collection, fragmentation and maintenance in aquaria) and under<br />
thermal stress conditions. A gamma-proteobacteria bacterial symbiosis is evident within the<br />
gastrodermis of various tropical coral species in the form of an aggregation of rod-shaped<br />
bacteria. In situ bacterial community dynamics are also found to vary due to handling stress and<br />
maintenance in experimental conditions. Both thermally stressed and experimentally maintained<br />
corals showed a shift of in situ bacterial communities, however complete bacterial colonisation<br />
of the tissues only occurred during thermal bleaching and breakdown of the coral-dinoflagellate<br />
endosymbiosis. This study demonstrates that natural bacterial community dynamics are rapidly<br />
altered during experimental conditions. This is an important consideration for the use of<br />
experimental studies that investigate the role of coral-bacterial associations on coral reefs.<br />
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