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All significantly different genes according to the total intensity of each gene family for microbiomes of Acanthogorgia spp. (A1-A2), Desmophyllum dianthus (D1-D3), Desmophyllum pertusum (L1-L3), and Enallopsammia profunda (E1-E3); (genes that were not significant are not shown). GeoChip IDs as listed in Table 1. Note scale differences for each panel. Significant differences between total intensity of gene families were evaluated with an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and significant tests (p ≤ 0.01) were followed up with a Tukey’s HSD (honestly significant difference) test
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Over the past decade, an abundance of 16S rRNA gene surveys have provided microbiologists with data regarding the prokaryotes present in a coral-associated microbial community. Functional gene studies that provide information regarding what those microbes might do are fewer, particularly for non-tropical corals. Using the GeoChip 5.0S microarray, w...
Citations
... Symbioses between microbes and animals are considered key drivers of ecosystem properties. Deep-sea corals and sponges can harbor dense and diverse microbial communities inside their tissue, which play fundamental roles in key physiological processes, such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous cycling [1,2]. Interestingly both, deepsea sponge [3,4], as well as cold-water coral [5,6] microbiomes were found to be host species-specific, and some parts of the microbiome show imprints of co-evolutionary dynamics between the host and its microbial partners. ...
Knowledge of spatial distribution patterns of biodiversity is key to evaluate and ensure ocean integrity and resilience. Especially for the deep ocean, where in situ monitoring requires sophisticated instruments and considerable financial investments, modeling approaches are crucial to move from scattered data points to predictive continuous maps. Those modeling approaches are commonly run on the macrobial level, but spatio-temporal predictions of host-associated microbiomes are not being targeted. This is especially problematic as previous research has highlighted that host-associated microbes may display distribution patterns that are not perfectly correlated not only with host biogeographies, but also with other factors, such as prevailing environmental conditions. We here establish a new simulation approach and present predicted spatio-temporal distribution patterns of deep-sea sponge and coral microbiomes, making use of a combination of environmental data, host data, and microbiome data. This approach allows predictions of microbiome spatio-temporal distribution patterns on scales that are currently not covered by classical sampling approaches at sea. In summary, our presented predictions allow (i) identification of microbial biodiversity hotspots in the past, present, and future, (ii) trait-based predictions to link microbial with macrobial biodiversity, and (iii) identification of shifts in microbial community composition (key taxa) across environmental gradients and shifting environmental conditions.
... Many CWCs secrete a calcium carbonate framework that remains after the coral polyps die (Wilson, 1979). Both the live and dead framework provide a range of valuable ecosystem services (e.g., Foley et al., 2010;Armstrong et al., 2014;Thurber et al., 2014), including provision of habitat for a wide range of associated fauna such as sponges and bivalves (Jonsson et al., 2004;Buhl-Mortensen and Fosså, 2006;Buhl-Mortensen et al., 2017;Roberts, 2007, 2017;Rueda et al., 2019), commercially important fish species (Fosså and Skjoldal, 2010;Miller et al., 2012;White et al., 2012;Linley et al., 2017;D'Onghia, 2019), and a diverse microbiome (Schöttner et al., 2012;van Bleijswijk et al., 2015;Weinbauer et al., 2019;Pratte et al., 2023). Hence, the benthic biodiversity of CWC reefs is on a level with tropical coral reefs (Buhl-Mortensen and Fosså, 2006;Henry and Roberts, 2017). ...
Fjords provide unique habitats for large cold-water coral (CWC) reefs, typically growing on sills and vertical walls. Fjord reefs are among the most thriving CWC reefs in Norway. Yet, these reefs, especially the wall reefs, are notoriously understudied. Here, we mapped the biomass, total carbon (C) stocks and C turnover (as respiration) of the reef-building coral Lophelia pertusa (syn. Desmophyllum pertusum), and dominant, large CWC reef-associated suspension feeders (the sponges Geodia barretti and Mycale lingua, the CWC Madrepora oculata and the bivalve Acesta excavata) within the Hardangerfjord, Norway. Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) recorded videos from wall and sill reefs were used to estimate species-specific biomass. Coupled with high resolution terrain data (2 × 2 m), predictive maps of species biomass were produced using a random forest (RF) model. The resulting biomass data were integrated with species-specific C content and C respiration rates from literature to estimate C stocks and C turnover of wall versus sill reefs. Area-specific results from the RF models reveal that wall reefs had a higher habitat suitability for all species except L. pertusa, which was more dominant on the sills. Accordingly, the wall reefs supported an up to 11 times higher biomass, C stock, and turnover for all species, except for L. pertusa, which had two-fold higher values on the sill reef. As a result, the wall reefs showed a 1.5 to 4.8 times higher total mean C turnover by dominant suspension feeders (all studied species) compared to the sill reefs. With their high C turnover and their presumably wide distribution in Norwegian fjords and globally, benthic wall reef megafauna may have a substantial, but overlooked biomass and functional role within CWC reef systems.
Microbes perform critical functions in corals, yet most knowledge is derived from the photic zone. Here, we discover two mollicutes that dominate the microbiome of the deep-sea octocoral, Callogorgia delta, and likely reside in the mesoglea. These symbionts are abundant across the host’s range, absent in the water, and appear to be rare in sediments. Unlike other mollicutes, they lack all known fermentative capabilities, including glycolysis, and can only generate energy from arginine provided by the coral host. Their genomes feature several mechanisms to interact with foreign DNA, including extensive CRISPR arrays and restriction-modification systems, which may indicate their role in symbiosis. We propose the novel family Oceanoplasmataceae which includes these symbionts and others associated with five marine invertebrate phyla. Its exceptionally broad host range suggests that the diversity of this enigmatic family remains largely undiscovered. Oceanoplasmataceae genomes are the most highly reduced among mollicutes, providing new insight into their reductive evolution and the roles of coral symbionts.
Cold-water corals form vast reefs that are highly valuable habitats for diverse deep-sea communities. However, as the deep ocean is warming, it is essential to assess the resilience of cold-water corals to future conditions. The effects of elevated temperatures on the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa (now named Desmophyllum pertusum) from the northeast Atlantic Ocean were experimentally investigated at the holobiont level, the coral host, and its microbiome. We show that at temperature increases of + 3 and + 5 °C, L. pertusa exhibits significant mortality con-comitant with changes in its microbiome composition. In addition, a metagenomic approach revealed the presence of gene markers for bacterial virulence factors suggesting that coral death was due to infection by pathogenic bacteria. Interestingly, different coral colonies had different survival rates and, colony-specific microbiome signatures, indicating strong colony-specific variability in their response to warming waters. These results suggest that L. pertusa can only survive a long-term temperature increase of < 3 °C. Therefore, regional variations in deep-sea temperature increase should be considered in future estimates of the global distribution of cold-water corals.
Cold-water corals form vast reefs that are highly valuable habitats for diverse deep-sea communities. The deep ocean is, however, getting warmer, and models predict that the temperature of the Atlantic Ocean will further increase by up to 3°C by the end of the century. Understanding the response of cold-water corals to ocean warming is therefore essential to assess their resilience to future water temperatures. Here, we investigate at the holobiont level, the coral host and its associated microbiome, the effects of elevated temperatures on the reef-forming cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa (now named Desmophyllum pertusum) from the north east Atlantic Ocean. We show that at temperature increases of +3 and +5°C, L. pertusa exhibits significant mortality concomitant with changes in its microbiome. A metagenomic approach revealed the presence of genes markers for bacterial virulence factors suggesting that coral death was due to infection by pathogenic bacteria. Differences in survival were observed between L. pertusa colonies, as well as colony-specific microbiome signatures, indicating strong colony variability between colonies in response to warming waters. We hypothesize that L. pertusa, regardless of their ocean of origin, can only survive a temperature increase of < 3°C over a long period of time. Regional variations in deep-sea temperature increase should therefore be taken into account in future estimates of the global distribution of cold-water corals.
