Dataset Information

Effects of suspended sediments on the sponge holobiont with implications for dredging management.

ABSTRACT: Dredging can cause high suspended sediment concentrations (SSC) in the water column, posing a hazard to filter feeding organisms like sponges as sediment may clog their aquiferous systems and reduce feeding. In order to provide pressure-response values for sponges to SSC and tease apart the cause:effect pathways of dredging pressures, five heterotrophic and phototrophic species were experimentally exposed to a range of dredging-relevant SSC of up to 100?mg?L-1, with light compensation across treatments to ensure that SSC was the primary physical parameter. This study shows that some sponge species exposed to high SSC (?23?mg?L-1) for extended periods (28 d) have lower survival, increased necrosis and depletion of energy reserves. In contrast, SSC of ?10?mg?L-1 caused few, if any, negative effects and is thus suggested as a prudent sub-lethal threshold for sponges. Microbial communities did not change significantly among SSC treatments, although a nutritional shift from mixotrophy towards increased phototrophy was detected for some sponge species exposed to high SSC. Importantly however, it is expected that the combined effect of SSC with low light availability and sediment smothering as occurs during dredging operations will increase the negative effects on sponges.

SUBMITTER: Pineda MC

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5504051 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Effects of suspended sediments on the sponge holobiont with implications for dredging management.

Pineda Mari-Carmen MC Strehlow Brian B Sternel Miriam M Duckworth Alan A Jones Ross R Webster Nicole S NS

Scientific reports 20170710 1

Dredging can cause high suspended sediment concentrations (SSC) in the water column, posing a hazard to filter feeding organisms like sponges as sediment may clog their aquiferous systems and reduce feeding. In order to provide pressure-response values for sponges to SSC and tease apart the cause:effect pathways of dredging pressures, five heterotrophic and phototrophic species were experimentally exposed to a range of dredging-relevant SSC of up to 100 mg L<sup>-1</sup>, with light compensation ...[more]

PMID: 28694508

Similar Datasets

Project description:Accidental oil spills from shipping and during extraction can threaten marine biota, particularly coral reef species which are already under pressure from anthropogenic disturbances. Marine sponges are an important structural and functional component of coral reef ecosystems; however, despite their ecological importance, little is known about how sponges and their microbial symbionts respond to petroleum products. Here, we use a systems biology-based approach to assess the effects of water-accommodated fractions (WAF) of crude oil, chemically enhanced water-accommodated fractions of crude oil (CWAF), and dispersant (Corexit EC9500A) on the survival, metamorphosis, gene expression, and microbial symbiosis of the abundant reef sponge Rhopaloeides odorabile in larval laboratory-based assays. Larval survival was unaffected by the 100% WAF treatment (107??g liter-1 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon [PAH]), whereas significant decreases in metamorphosis were observed at 13% WAF (13.9??g liter-1 PAH). The CWAF and dispersant treatments were more toxic, with decreases in metamorphosis identified at 0.8% (0.58??g liter-1 PAH) and 1.6% (38?mg liter-1 Corexit EC9500A), respectively. In addition to the negative impact on larval settlement, significant changes in host gene expression and disruptions to the microbiome were evident, with microbial shifts detected at the lowest treatment level (1.6% WAF; 1.7??g liter-1 PAH), including a significant reduction in the relative abundance of a previously described thaumarchaeal symbiont. The responsiveness of the R. odorabile microbial community to the lowest level of hydrocarbon treatment highlights the utility of the sponge microbiome as a sensitive marker for exposure to crude oils and dispersants.IMPORTANCE Larvae of the sponge R. odorabile survived exposure to high concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons; however, their ability to settle and metamorphose was adversely affected at environmentally relevant concentrations, and these effects were paralleled by marked changes in sponge gene expression and preceded by disruption of the symbiotic microbiome. Given the ecological importance of sponges, uncontrolled hydrocarbon releases from shipping accidents or production could affect sponge recruitment, which would have concomitant consequences for reef ecosystem function.

Dataset Information

Effects of suspended sediments on the sponge holobiont with implications for dredging management.

Publications

Effects of suspended sediments on the sponge holobiont with implications for dredging management.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets