Dataset Information

Phototoxic effects of two common marine fuels on the settlement success of the coral Acropora tenuis.

ABSTRACT: Coral reefs are at risk of exposure to petroleum hydrocarbons from shipping spills and uncontrolled discharges during extraction. The toxicity of petroleum hydrocarbons can substantially increase in the presence of ultraviolet radiation (UVR), therefore spills in shallow coral reef environments may be particularly hazardous to reef species. Here we investigated the sensitivity of coral larvae (Acropora tenuis) to dissolved hydrocarbons from heavy fuel oil (HFO) and diesel in the absence and presence of UVR. Larval settlement success decreased with increasing concentrations of dissolved HFO, and co-exposure to UVR doubled the toxicity: 50% effect concentrations (EC50) decreased from 96 (-UVR) to 51 (+UVR) total petroleum aromatic hydrocarbons (TPAH). Toxic thresholds for HFO were similar to concentrations reported during marine spills: EC10s of 24 (-UVR) and 15 (+UVR) µg l-1. While less toxic, diesel also reduced settlement and exhibited phototoxicity: EC10s of 122 (+UVR) and 302 (-UVR) µg l-1. This study demonstrates that the presence of UVR increases the hazard posed by oil pollution to tropical, shallow-water coral reefs. Further research on the effects of oils in the presence of UVR is needed to improve the environmental relevance of risk assessments and ensure appropriate protection for shallow reef environments against oil pollution.

SUBMITTER: Nordborg FM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5988723 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Phototoxic effects of two common marine fuels on the settlement success of the coral Acropora tenuis.

Nordborg F Mikaela FM Flores Florita F Brinkman Diane L DL Agustí Susana S Negri Andrew P AP

Scientific reports 20180605 1

Coral reefs are at risk of exposure to petroleum hydrocarbons from shipping spills and uncontrolled discharges during extraction. The toxicity of petroleum hydrocarbons can substantially increase in the presence of ultraviolet radiation (UVR), therefore spills in shallow coral reef environments may be particularly hazardous to reef species. Here we investigated the sensitivity of coral larvae (Acropora tenuis) to dissolved hydrocarbons from heavy fuel oil (HFO) and diesel in the absence and pres ...[more]

PMID: 29872088

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Project description:Coral-associated microorganisms are essential for maintaining the health of the coral holobiont by participating in nutrient cycling and protecting the coral host from pathogens. Under stressful conditions, disruption of the coral prokaryotic microbiome is linked to increased susceptibility to diseases and mortality. Inoculation of corals with beneficial microbes could confer enhanced stress tolerance to the host and may be a powerful tool to help corals thrive under challenging environmental conditions. Here, we explored the feasibility of coral early life stage microbiome manipulation by repeatedly inoculating coral recruits with a bacterial cocktail generated in the laboratory. Co-culturing the two species Acropora tenuis and Platygyra daedalea allowed us to simultaneously investigate the effect of host factors on the coral microbiome. Inoculation cocktails were regularly prepared from freshly grown pure bacterial cultures, which were hence assumed viable, and characterized via the optical density measurement of each individual strain put in suspension. Coral early recruits were inoculated seven times over 3 weeks and sampled once 36 h following the last inoculation event. At this time point, the cumulative inoculations with the bacterial cocktails had a strong effect on the bacterial community composition in recruits of both coral species. While the location of bacterial cells within the coral hosts was not assessed, metabarcoding using the 16S rRNA gene revealed that two and six of the seven bacterial strains administered through the cocktails were significantly enriched in inoculated recruits of A. tenuis and P. daedalea, respectively, compared to control recruits. Despite being reared in the same environment, A. tenuis and P. daedalea established significantly different bacterial communities, both in terms of taxonomic composition and diversity measurements. These findings indicate that coral host factors as well as the environmental bacterial pool play a role in shaping coral-associated bacterial community composition. Host factors may include microbe transmission mode (horizontal versus maternal) and host specificity. While the long-term stability of taxa included in the bacterial inocula as members of the host-associated microbiome remains to be evaluated, our results provide support for the feasibility of coral microbiome manipulation, at least in a laboratory setting.

Dataset Information

Phototoxic effects of two common marine fuels on the settlement success of the coral Acropora tenuis.

Publications

Phototoxic effects of two common marine fuels on the settlement success of the coral Acropora tenuis.

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