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Published (Version of record)CC BY V4.0, Open Access
Published (Version of record)CC BY V4.0, Open
Journal article
The Effects of Crude Oil and Dispersant on the Larval Sponge Holobiont
mSystems, Vol.4(6), pp.1-17
10/12/2019
PMCID: PMC6906743
PMID: 31822603
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Abstract
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
in larval laboratory-based assays. Larval survival was unaffected by the 100% WAF treatment (107 μg liter
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon [PAH]), whereas significant decreases in metamorphosis were observed at 13% WAF (13.9 μg liter
PAH). The CWAF and dispersant treatments were more toxic, with decreases in metamorphosis identified at 0.8% (0.58 μg liter
PAH) and 1.6% (38 mg liter
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 μg liter
PAH), including a significant reduction in the relative abundance of a previously described thaumarchaeal symbiont. The responsiveness of the
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.
Larvae of the sponge
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.
Details
- Title
- The Effects of Crude Oil and Dispersant on the Larval Sponge Holobiont
- Creators
- Heidi M Luter - Australian Institute of Marine ScienceSteve Whalan - Southern Cross UniversityNikos Andreakis - Australian Institute of Marine ScienceMuhammad Abdul Wahab - Australian Institute of Marine ScienceEmmanuelle S Botté - Australian Institute of Marine ScienceAndrew P Negri - Australian Institute of Marine ScienceNicole S Webster - Australian Institute of Marine Science
- Publication Details
- mSystems, Vol.4(6), pp.1-17
- Publisher
- American Society for Microbiology; United States
- Grant note
- This study was funded by the Australian Institute of Marine Science.
- Identifiers
- 991012925035902368
- Copyright
- © Crown copyright 2019. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.
- Academic Unit
- Marine Ecology Research Centre; School of Environment, Science and Engineering; Faculty of Science and Engineering; Science
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article