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Fungi in the marine environment are often neglected as a research topic, despite that fungi having critical roles on land as decomposers, pathogens or endophytes. Here we used culture-dependent methods to survey the fungi associated with the seagrass, Zostera marina, also obtaining bacteria and oomycete isolates in the process. A total of 108 fungi...
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... the sequences listed in Tables 1 and S2-S4, we generated four different sequence alignments, (1) an alignment to investigate seagrass isolates in the Basidiomycota and Mucoromycota, (2) an alignment to investigate seagrass isolates in the Eurotiomycetes class in the Ascomycota phylum, (3) an alignment to investigate seagrass isolates in the Sordariomycetes class in the Ascomycota phylum, and (4) an alignment to investigate seagrass isolates in the Dothideomycetes class in the Ascomycota phylum. ...Context 2
... all of the fungal isolates were taxonomically classified as belonging to the Ascomycota (n = 103), with the remaining five isolates classified as Basidiomycota (n = 4) and Mucoromycota (n = 1), respectively (Table 1). Within the Ascomycota, isolates were further identified as being in three classes: the Eurotiomycetes (n = 62), Dothideomycetes (n = 30), and Sordariomycetes (n = 11). ...Context 3
... compared the diversity of the fungi isolated here to high throughput sequencing data associated with Z. marina from the same location (as previously analyzed in Ettinger & Eisen [43]. We found that the fungal genera isolated in this study were generally also detected in the sequencing data (Table 1). Only three genera were not detected in the sequencing data, Pseudozyma sp., Emericellopsis sp. and Absidia cylindrospora. ...Context 4
... expanded version of this phylogeny can be found in S7 Fig. The GenBank accession numbers of the sequences used to build this phylogeny can be found in Tables 1 and S2-S4. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0236135.g003 ...Context 5
... expanded version of this phylogeny can be found in S8 Fig. The GenBank accession numbers of the sequences used to build this phylogeny can be found in Tables 1 and S2-S4. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0236135.g004 ...Context 6
... expanded version of this phylogeny can be found in S9 Fig. The GenBank accession numbers of the sequences used to build this phylogeny can be found in Tables 1 and S2-S4. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0236135.g005 ...Context 7
... expanded version of this phylogeny can be found in S10 Fig. The GenBank accession numbers of the sequences used to build this phylogeny can be found in Tables 1 and S2-S4. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0236135.g006 ...Context 8
... Z. marina are shown in green, fungi isolated from other seagrass species are shown in black, and all other fungi are shown in grey. For visualization purposes, selected clades have been collapsed and the number of sequences within that clade is indicated. The GenBank accession numbers of the sequences used to build this phylogeny can be found in Tables 1 and S2-S4. (TIF) S8 Fig. Phylogenetic placement of seagrass fungal isolates in the Eurotiomycetes. A molecular phylogeny of 28S rRNA genes for isolates in the Eurotiomycetes was constructed using Bayesian inference. This alignment was generated using MAFFT (v. 7.402) on the CIPRES Science Gateway web server, trimmed using trimAl (v.1.2) and a ...Context 9
... greater or equal to 70%, a white circle represents probabilities less than 70%). The names of fungi isolated from Z. marina are shown in green, fungi isolated from other seagrass species are shown in black, and all other fungi are shown in grey. The GenBank accession numbers of the sequences used to build this phylogeny can be found in Tables 1 and S2-S4. (TIF) S9 Fig. Phylogenetic placement of seagrass fungal isolates in the Sordariomycetes. A molecular phylogeny of 28S rRNA genes for isolates in the Sordariomycetes was constructed using Bayesian inference. This alignment was generated using MAFFT (v. 7.402) on the CIPRES Science Gateway web server, trimmed using trimAl (v.1.2) and a ...Context 10
... names of fungi isolated from Z. marina are shown in green, fungi isolated from other seagrass species are shown in black, and all other fungi are shown in grey. The GenBank accession numbers of the sequences used to build this phylogeny can be found in Tables 1 and S2- A molecular phylogeny of 28S rRNA genes for isolates in the Dothideomycetes was constructed using Bayesian inference. This alignment was generated using MAFFT (v. ...Context 11
... names of fungi isolated from Z. marina are shown in green, fungi isolated from other seagrass species are shown in black, and all other fungi are shown in grey. The GenBank accession numbers of the sequences used to build this phylogeny can be found in Tables 1 and S2- [43]. A histogram representing the mean relative abundance of amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) grouped by order and colored by sample type (leaf, rhizome, root, or sediment). ...Context 12
... sequences used in molecular phylogenies found based on top BLAST matches to Zostera marina associated fungal isolates. Here we report the GenBank accession number and taxonomic information (Class, Order, Molecular ID) for each fungal 28S rRNA gene sequence obtained based on top BLAST matches to fungal isolates in Table 1 Table. Sequences from fungi isolated from seagrasses used in molecular phylogenies. ...Context 13
... the sequences listed in Tables 1 and S2-S4, we generated four different sequence alignments, (1) an alignment to investigate seagrass isolates in the Basidiomycota and Mucoromycota, (2) an alignment to investigate seagrass isolates in the Eurotiomycetes class in the Ascomycota phylum, (3) an alignment to investigate seagrass isolates in the Sordariomycetes class in the Ascomycota phylum, and (4) an alignment to investigate seagrass isolates in the Dothideomycetes class in the Ascomycota phylum. ...Context 14
... all of the fungal isolates were taxonomically classified as belonging to the Ascomycota (n = 103), with the remaining five isolates classified as Basidiomycota (n = 4) and Mucoromycota (n = 1), respectively (Table 1). Within the Ascomycota, isolates were further identified as being in three classes: the Eurotiomycetes (n = 62), Dothideomycetes (n = 30), and Sordariomycetes (n = 11). ...Context 15
... compared the diversity of the fungi isolated here to high throughput sequencing data associated with Z. marina from the same location (as previously analyzed in Ettinger & Eisen [43]. We found that the fungal genera isolated in this study were generally also detected in the sequencing data (Table 1). Only three genera were not detected in the sequencing data, Pseudozyma sp., Emericellopsis sp. and Absidia cylindrospora. ...Context 16
... expanded version of this phylogeny can be found in S7 Fig. The GenBank accession numbers of the sequences used to build this phylogeny can be found in Tables 1 and S2-S4. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0236135.g003 ...Context 17
... expanded version of this phylogeny can be found in S8 Fig. The GenBank accession numbers of the sequences used to build this phylogeny can be found in Tables 1 and S2-S4. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0236135.g004 ...Context 18
... expanded version of this phylogeny can be found in S9 Fig. The GenBank accession numbers of the sequences used to build this phylogeny can be found in Tables 1 and S2-S4. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0236135.g005 ...Context 19
... expanded version of this phylogeny can be found in S10 Fig. The GenBank accession numbers of the sequences used to build this phylogeny can be found in Tables 1 and S2-S4. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0236135.g006 ...Context 20
... Z. marina are shown in green, fungi isolated from other seagrass species are shown in black, and all other fungi are shown in grey. For visualization purposes, selected clades have been collapsed and the number of sequences within that clade is indicated. The GenBank accession numbers of the sequences used to build this phylogeny can be found in Tables 1 and S2-S4. (TIF) S8 Fig. Phylogenetic placement of seagrass fungal isolates in the Eurotiomycetes. A molecular phylogeny of 28S rRNA genes for isolates in the Eurotiomycetes was constructed using Bayesian inference. This alignment was generated using MAFFT (v. 7.402) on the CIPRES Science Gateway web server, trimmed using trimAl (v.1.2) and a ...Context 21
... greater or equal to 70%, a white circle represents probabilities less than 70%). The names of fungi isolated from Z. marina are shown in green, fungi isolated from other seagrass species are shown in black, and all other fungi are shown in grey. The GenBank accession numbers of the sequences used to build this phylogeny can be found in Tables 1 and S2-S4. (TIF) S9 Fig. Phylogenetic placement of seagrass fungal isolates in the Sordariomycetes. A molecular phylogeny of 28S rRNA genes for isolates in the Sordariomycetes was constructed using Bayesian inference. This alignment was generated using MAFFT (v. 7.402) on the CIPRES Science Gateway web server, trimmed using trimAl (v.1.2) and a ...Context 22
... names of fungi isolated from Z. marina are shown in green, fungi isolated from other seagrass species are shown in black, and all other fungi are shown in grey. The GenBank accession numbers of the sequences used to build this phylogeny can be found in Tables 1 and S2- A molecular phylogeny of 28S rRNA genes for isolates in the Dothideomycetes was constructed using Bayesian inference. This alignment was generated using MAFFT (v. ...Context 23
... names of fungi isolated from Z. marina are shown in green, fungi isolated from other seagrass species are shown in black, and all other fungi are shown in grey. The GenBank accession numbers of the sequences used to build this phylogeny can be found in Tables 1 and S2- [43]. A histogram representing the mean relative abundance of amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) grouped by order and colored by sample type (leaf, rhizome, root, or sediment). ...Context 24
... sequences used in molecular phylogenies found based on top BLAST matches to Zostera marina associated fungal isolates. Here we report the GenBank accession number and taxonomic information (Class, Order, Molecular ID) for each fungal 28S rRNA gene sequence obtained based on top BLAST matches to fungal isolates in Table 1 Table. Sequences from fungi isolated from seagrasses used in molecular phylogenies. ...Similar publications
Sexual reproduction and related processes play a somewhat limited but important role in generating genetic diversity in Candida species and other fungal pathogens. These processes are also thought to be an important contributor to the evolution of pathogenicity and drug resistance. Candida auris is a recently emerged, human-pathogenic yeast causing...
Citations
... The protocols of Mata and Cebriań (2013); Bibi et al. (2018), and Ettinger and Eisen (2020) were modified to isolate endophytic fungi. Briefly, 48 leaves were swabbed with sterile cotton swabs to remove ectosymbionts and to surface sterilize the leaves. ...
... Bead-beating was performed at 4.0 m/s for 20 s, twice, with a FastPrep-24 bead beater (MP Biomedicals). The ITS-28S region was amplified with primers ITS5 (5′-GGAAGTAAAAGTCGT AACAAGG; White et al., 1990) and LR3 (5′-GGTCCG TGTTTCAAGAC; Vilgalys and Hester, 1990), as used in Ettinger and Eisen (2020). The PCR program was as follows: 95°C for 5 min, 35 cycles of 94°C for 30 s, 52°C for 15 s, 72°C for 1 min, and a final extension at 72°C for 8 min (Ettinger and Eisen, 2020). ...
... The ITS-28S region was amplified with primers ITS5 (5′-GGAAGTAAAAGTCGT AACAAGG; White et al., 1990) and LR3 (5′-GGTCCG TGTTTCAAGAC; Vilgalys and Hester, 1990), as used in Ettinger and Eisen (2020). The PCR program was as follows: 95°C for 5 min, 35 cycles of 94°C for 30 s, 52°C for 15 s, 72°C for 1 min, and a final extension at 72°C for 8 min (Ettinger and Eisen, 2020). ...
Thalassia testudinum has undergone die-offs in the past century due to seagrass wasting disease caused by Labyrinthula sp. Little is known about how seagrasses resist Labyrinthula infections, but metabolites that inhibit Labyrinthula were previously extracted from seagrass leaves. Furthermore, leaf fungal endophytes from seagrasses possess antipathogenic potential, but their activity against Labyrinthula is unknown. Here, we aimed to identify whether fungal endophytes of T. testudinum can aid in disease defense against Labyrinthula. Through Illumina amplicon sequencing of the leaves’ mycobiome, we identified fungi that are known to produce antimicrobials. We also isolated and extracted organic compounds from endophytes to test their anti-Labyrinthula potential using disk diffusion assays. There were 22 isolates that inhibited Labyrinthula, from which two isolates, Trichoderma sp. P1a and Diaporthe sp. M14, displayed strong inhibition. LC-HRMS/MS analysis determined the likely bioactive compounds of Trichoderma as peptaibols and of Diaporthe as cytosporone B. Cytosporone B was confirmed bioactive against Labyrinthula via disk diffusion assays. While these organisms are low in abundance in the mycobiome, this study demonstrates that seagrass endophytes have the potential to play an important role in defense against Labyrinthula.
... The isolation of marine actinobacteria is influenced by the isolation parameters such as culture, pondus hydrogenii (pH) and temperature, incubation time, and concentration of the medium [51]. Numerous studies attest to culture seagrass-derived actinobacteria by employing the cultivation parameters as follows: using a wide variety of media, the addition of natural seawater, artificial seawater, or deionized/ distilled water with different concentrations of sodium chloride, culture temperature 26°-29°C, and an incubation time of 1-6 weeks [52][53][54][55][56][57]. Certain actinobacterial have been isolated from all seagrass parts (roots, rhizomes, and leaves), whereas, most research specifically targeted actinobacteria as endophytes from the roots and leaves of seagrass, as shown in Table 1. ...
... At the time of this review, there were no purified molecules derived from seagrassassociated actinobacteria that were subjected to structure elucidation. Studies have shown that they have a spectrum of biological potentials such as antibacterial activity [52,53,57,71,72], antifungal activity [55,71], algicidal activity [73], nitrogen-fixing ability, and enzymatic activity [54]. Conspicuously, there are available studies where no bioactive test was performed for the actinobacteria discovered [56,74]. ...
The search for novel therapeutic agents to combat the crisis of antimicrobial resistance has spanned from terrestrial to unique, marine environments. Currently, most of the drugs available for usage are derived from microbial metabolites, especially those belonging to the bacterial group, actinobacteria. Actinobacteria are hotspot organisms that exist in all habitats with a myriad of unique biosynthetic metabolites. Seagrasses appear to be a key ecosystem within the coastal environment worth bioprospecting for novel natural products. Unfortunately, literature about the bioactive potential of their associated prokaryotes, including actinobacteria remains limited. In this context, this review focused on actinobacteria with antibiotic-producing capabilities derived from different parts of seagrass plants (i.e. roots, rhizomes, and leaves). To date, there were no purified molecules derived from seagrass-associated actinobacteria that were subjected to structure elucidation. From the underpinning of numerous biological profiles such as antibacterial, antifungal, and algicidal activities of seagrass-derived actinobacteria reported in this review during the period from 2012-2020, it provides a continual growth of knowledge accruing overtime, providing a foundation for future research.
... Research has demonstrated that fungi are crucial for the fitness and health of terrestrial plants and act as pathogens or endophytes, but the role of fungi in marine habitats has been poorly studied [15]. It is thought fungi potentially play important roles in the cycle of organic matter and the dynamics of food webs in marine ecosystems, such as seagrass meadows [16,17]. Recently, studies have investigated the diversity of the seagrass-associated fungal community and emphasized the importance of understanding the variables that influence the dynamics of these communities [18,19]. ...
Background
Seagrasses offer various ecosystem services and possess high levels of primary productivity. However, the development of mariculture has affected the homeostasis of seagrass meadow ecosystems. Plant-microbiome associations are essential for seagrasses health, but little is known about the role of environmental microbiomes and how they affect seagrass in a mariculture environment. In this study, we investigated the influence of mariculture on the rhizosphere and seawater microbiome surrounding Zostera marina and focused on the bacterial, eukaryotic, and fungal components in the composition, diversity, metabolism, and responses to mariculture-related environmental factors.
Results
Significant differences in the composition, richness, diversity, and internal relations of the bacterial community between the seawater and rhizosphere sediment surrounding Z. marina were observed, while differences in the eukaryotic and fungal communities were less significant. More complex bacterial and fungal co-occurrence networks were found in the seawater and rhizosphere sediment of the Saccharina japonica (SJ) and sea cucumber (SC) culture zones. The seawater in the SJ zone had higher levels of dissimilatory and assimilatory nitrate reduction, denitrification, and nitrogen fixation processes than the other three zones. The assimilatory sulfate reduction enzymes were higher in the rhizosphere sediments of the SJ zone than in the other three zones. Tetracycline, sulfonamide, and diaminopyrimidine resistance genes were enriched in the mariculture SJ and SC zones.
Conclusions
Our findings might contribute to a better understanding of the effects of mariculture on the seagrass and the meadow ecosystems and thus revealing their potential operating mechanisms. These insights may serve to raise awareness of the effects of human activities on natural ecosystems, regulation of antibiotic usage, and environmental restoration.
7tqXcmUUPbCQ9vMfWLp9EQVideo Abstract
... In addition to fungi (Sun et al. 2012, Rajamanik y am et al. 2017, Rai et al. 2021, various bacteria and members of many other eukaryotic kingdoms are commonly associated with plant tissues. These include various pathogenic, necr otr ophic and sa pr otr ophic or ganisms suc h as Oomycota, Labyrinthulida and Hypoc hytriomycota from the Stramenopila kingdom, Kinetoplastea of Excavata, Phytomyxea of Rhizaria, and potentiall y se v er al other unicellular gr oups (Sc hwelm et al. 2018 , Ettinger andEisen 2020 ). There is limited information available regarding the preferences for habitat, tissue type and partner specificity of these microeukaryotes, particularly in aquatic habitats. ...
Studies of plant–microbe interactions, including mutualistic, antagonistic, parasitic, or commensal microbes, have greatly benefited our understanding of ecosystem functioning. New molecular identification tools have increasingly revealed the association patterns between microorganisms and plants. Here, we integrated long-read PacBio single-molecule sequencing technology with a blocking protein-nucleic acid (PNA) approach to minimise plant amplicons in a survey of plant-eukaryotic microbe relationships in roots and leaves of different aquatic and terrestrial plants to determine patterns of organ, host, and habitat preferences. The PNA approach reduced the samples' relative amounts of plant reads and did not distort the fungal and other microeukaryotic composition. Our analyses revealed that the eukaryotic microbiomes associated with leaves and roots of aquatic plants exhibit a much larger proportion of non-fungal microorganisms than terrestrial plants, and leaf and root microbiomes are similar. Terrestrial plants had much stronger differentiation of leaf and root microbiomes and stronger partner specificity than aquatic plants.
... The study also revealed that Phyllobacterium sp. appears to be linked with a genus of N 2 -fixing plant-growthpromoting bacteria [27]. They could establish their role as an N 2 -fixing organisms in the roots of land plants and mangrove rhizosphere [28][29][30]. ...
Edible-fungal-based solid-state fermentation holds promise for sustainable food and biofuel production. Understanding the role of microbial communities in fungal substrates is crucial. Birch-based substrates were treated with autoclaving (121 °C, at 2 bar) or hot air pasteurization (75–100 °C), followed by incubation with and without shiitake (Lentinula edodes) inoculum. Mycelial growth was monitored by CO2 release and microbial biomass by phosphate-lipid fatty acid (PLFA). DNA sequencing was used to analyze the microbial communities. Results showed successful colonization of shiitake on all substrates, regardless of pasteurization temperatures and coexisting microbes. Total microbial respiration (CO2) and PLFA biomass showed no significant differences between pasteurization regimes. However, significant microbial differences were found between shiitake-inoculated and non-inoculated treatments. DNA sequencing revealed the dominance of Phyllobacterium, Sphingomonas, and Pelomonas genera in all inoculated substrates, while non-inoculated substrates were abundant in Bacillus spp. and Paenibacillus spp. of the Firmicutes phylum. This study provides preliminary insights into the microbial community in birch-based shiitake substrates, facilitating further investigation of bacteria involved in shiitake mycelium growth promotion and biochemical conversion for biofuel production.
... Our systematic review revealed that Vibrio was found in the rhizosphere of seagrass Thalassia, Zostera, Vallisneria and Enhalus (Crump et al., 2018;Sun et al., 2020;Zhang et al., 2020). Vibrio bacteria have been identified as playing the role of diazotroph in the rhizosphere of seagrasses (Bagwell et al., 2002;Ettinger and Eisen, 2020;Garcias-Bonet et al., 2016;Shieh et al., 1989) and support successful seagrass colonisation of oligotrophic environments. On the other hand, the internal root tissue-associated bacteria of seagrasses, such as Actinobacteria, can synthesise a broad spectrum of antibacterial compounds, which are active against V. parahaemolyticus (Ravikumar et al., 2012). ...
Waterborne pathogenic bacteria, including faecal indicator bacteria and potentially pathogenic Vibrio, are a global concern for diseases transmitted through water. A systematic review was conducted to analyse publications that investigated these bacteria in relation to macrophytes (seagrasses and macroalgae) in coastal marine environments. The highest quantities of FIB were found on brown algae and seagrasses, and the highest quantities of Vibrio bacteria were on red algae. The most extensively studied macrophyte group was brown algae, green algae were the least researched. Macrophyte wrack was found to favor the presence of FIB, but there is a lack of information about Vibrio quantities in this environment. To understand the role of Vibrio bacteria that are pathogenic to humans, molecular methods complementary to cultivation methods should be used. Further research is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms of FIB and potentially pathogenic Vibrio with macrophytes and their microbiome in the coastal marine environment.
... Identification of genes responsible for biomass degradation and fungal assimilation of nitrogen was undertaken to better understand the role of fungi and the oceanic 'mycoloop', re-assessing fungal biogeographical processes, revision of their taxonomy and improving protocols for isolating marine fungi as well as highlighting further research topics. Current American marine mycological research features global collaborations led by Anthony Amend (Hawaii) on patterns of biogeography, community phylogenetics and fungal biodiversity Tisthammer et al. 2016;Wainwright et al. 2017); Brandon Hassett on Arctic marine fungal communities; their spatial distribution, ecological roles and functional genetics (Hassett et al. , 2019Rämä et al. 2017), Cassie Ettinger (California) on Zostera marinaassociated fungi (Ettinger and Eisen 2020;Ettinger et al. 2021) and Amy Gladfelter (UNC) on marine fungal cell division using timelapse imagery Mitchison-Field and Gladfelter 2021;Mitchison-Field et al. 2019 Although China has a long coastline and many renowned mycologists, few have ventured to examine its marine fungal diversity. The first reports are those of Lilian Vrijmoed who collected marine fungi on Hainan Island (Vrijmoed et al. 1996). ...
Early research on marine fungi was mostly descriptive, with an emphasis on their diversity and taxonomy, especially of those collected at rocky shores on seaweeds and driftwood. Subsequently, further substrata (e.g. salt marsh grasses, marine animals, seagrasses, sea foam, seawater, sediment) and habitats (coral reefs, deep-sea, hydrothermal vents, mangroves, sandy beaches, salt marshes) were explored for marine fungi. In parallel, research areas have broadened from micro-morphology to ultrastructure, ecophysiology, molecular phylogenetics, biogeography, biodeterioration, biodegradation, bioprospecting, genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics and metabolomics. Although marine fungi only constitute a small fraction of the global mycota, new species of marine fungi continue to be described from new hosts/substrata of unexplored locations/habitats, and novel bioactive metabolites have been discovered in the last two decades, warranting a greater collaborative research effort. Marine fungi of Africa, the Americas and Australasia are under-explored, while marine Chytridiomycota and allied taxa, fungi associated with marine animals, the functional roles of fungi in the sea, and the impacts of climate change on marine fungi are some of the topics needing more attention. In this article, currently active marine mycologists from different countries have written on the history and current state of marine fungal research in individual countries highlighting their strength in the subject, and this represents a first step towards a collaborative inter- and transdisciplinary research strategy.
... Unfortunately, it was not possible to assign a high proportion (>90 %) of the fungal sequences to class or even phylum level at XC, exemplifying the limitations of the most comprehensive databases to date. Numerous studies have confirmed that Eurotiomycetes, Dothideomycetes, and Sordariomycetes were mainly associated with seagrasses (Supaphon et al., 2017;Wainwright et al., 2019;Ettinger and Eisen, 2020). ...
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) pool in seawater plays an important role in long-term carbon sequestration in seagrass meadows. Microbial activities (microbial communities and their extracellular enzymes) are the key determining factors of DOC decomposition and sequestration potential, and are affected by nutrient enrichment. However, there is little information on the response of microbial communities and carbon-degrading extracellular enzymes to nutrient loading within seagrass meadows, limiting our understanding of the driving mechanism of DOC decomposition under nutrient enrichment. Here, microbial communities (including bacteria and fungi) and representative extracellular enzyme activity (EEA) in three seagrass meadows with different nutrients levels were investigated across four seasons. Water temperature was the driving factor influencing the seasonal dynamics of EEAs. In addition, the hydrolysis rates of chitinase, β-glucosidase, and α-glucosidase were significantly higher at a high nutrient loading seagrass meadow than at a low nutrient loading meadow. Furthermore, higher relative abundance of bacterial groups, such as Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Cellvibrionale, and Verrucomicrobia were in according with enhanced EEAs, suggesting that these K-strategists were likely involved in enzyme production and the subsequent remineralization of organic matter in seagrass meadows. In contrast with the bacterial community, fungal communities were not sensitive to nutrient concentrations, and there was no strong association between the given fungal groups and EEA. This may be attributed to the low taxonomic resolution of marine planktonic fungi or the minor role of fungi in EEA production. Overall, these results suggested that nutrient loading enhanced EEA levels, modified bacterial rather than fungal communities, and consequently accelerated DOC remineralization, thereby reducing DOC contribution potential of seagrass ecosystems to long term carbon sequestration.
... Some temperate Zostera marina seagrass beds are believed to lower the abundance of the Vibrionaceae in the leaf canopy [20]. However, other studies imply the Vibrionaceae (including bioluminescent isolates and animal pathogens) may actually be a native and prolific member of the epiphytic microbial community that inhabits seagrass meadows, including the leaves, rhizomes, and roots [21]. Vibrionaceae has also been isolated from the sediment of seagrass meadows, including nitrogen-fixing species like Vibrio diazotrophicus [22]. ...
The Vibrionaceae encompasses a cosmopolitan group that is mostly aquatic and possesses tremendous metabolic and genetic diversity. Given the importance of this taxon, it deserves continued and deeper research in a multitude of areas. This review outlines emerging topics of interest within the Vibrionaceae. Moreover, previously understudied research areas are highlighted that merit further exploration, including affiliations with marine plants (seagrasses), microbial predators, intracellular niches, and resistance to heavy metal toxicity. Agarases, phototrophy, phage shock protein response, and microbial experimental evolution are also fields discussed. The squid–Vibrio symbiosis is a stellar model system, which can be a useful guiding light on deeper expeditions and voyages traversing these “seas of interest”. Where appropriate, the squid–Vibrio mutualism is mentioned in how it has or could facilitate the illumination of these various subjects. Additional research is warranted on the topics specified herein, since they have critical relevance for biomedical science, pharmaceuticals, and health care. There are also practical applications in agriculture, zymology, food science, and culinary use. The tractability of microbial experimental evolution is explained. Examples are given of how microbial selection studies can be used to examine the roles of chance, contingency, and determinism (natural selection) in shaping Earth’s natural history.
... An exciting new avenue of study is the microbiome associated with seagrass species. Recent studies have identified a Phyllobacterium sp. which may be involved in nitrogen cycling in the seagrass ecosystem (Ettinger and Eisen 2020). If microbes are important, then they could either be cultured for inoculation or transplanted together to promote positive feedbacks to enhance seagrass restoration success (Suykerbuyk et al. 2016). ...
Te Tauihu (Top of the South Island, NZ) Councils (MLDC, NLCC, TLDC) sought advice on options for activities or actions to reverse the decline in state of coastal and marine habitats to build resilience in these habitats likely to be impacted by climate change. An Envirolink medium advice grant was used to review local reasons for restoration, summarise existing relevant marine restoration techniques and identify methods or species relevant for Te Tauihu highlighting ‘shovel-ready’ projects. Shellfish restoration was considered the top priority because of the areal extent of historic degradation. Restoration of such habitats are very likely to produce additional benefits to fisheries production (shellfisheries, fishes), and contribute to reducing climate change risks (through carbon sequestration and through the greater resilience provided by healthy ecosystems). Successful restoration of shellfish and seaweeds/grasses is more likely if soft sediment habitats can also be protected from benthic disturbance and if terrestrial sediment discharge into coastal marine areas is reduced. Recent restoration successes (e.g., green-lipped mussels, saltmarsh) and increasing knowledge of climate change risks provide encouragement and impetus to continue broadening the scope and scale of marine restoration efforts in Te Tauihu.
