Above and below-ground bacterial communities shift in seagrass beds with warmer temperatures

Autor: Luke DA. Walker, Paul E. Gribben, Tim M. Glasby, Ezequiel M. Marzinelli, Deepa R. Varkey, Katherine A. Dafforn
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: Frontiers in Marine Science, Vol 11 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2296-7745
DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2024.1374946
Popis: Current rates of ocean warming are predicted to exacerbate ongoing declines in seagrass populations. Above-ground responses of seagrass to increasing temperatures have been studied from a direct physiological perspective while indirect effects, including changes to microbially-mediated below-ground processes, remain poorly understood. To test potential effects of increased temperature on seagrass growth and associated microbial communities, we sampled seagrass beds experiencing ambient and elevated water temperatures at Lake Macquarie, Australia. Sites with warmer water were associated with a plume from a power station discharge channel with temperatures analogous to conditions predicted by 2100 under current rates of ocean warming (+3°C). The microbial community composition in both sediments and leaf tissues varied significantly between warm and ambient water temperatures with higher relative abundances of putative sulphate-reducing bacteria such as Desulfocapsaceae, Desulfobulbaceae and Desulfosarcinaceae in sedimentary communities in warm water. Above-ground biomass and seagrass growth rates were greater at warm sites while below-ground biomass and detrital decomposition rates showed no difference suggesting potential buffering of temperature effects below-ground. These findings suggest a 3°C rise in temperate regions is unlikely to induce mortality in seagrass however, it may shift microbial communities towards more homogenous structure and composition.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals