Eukaryotic diversity associated with carbonates and fluid-seawater interface in Lost City hydrothermal field

Lost City is a unique off-axis hydrothermal vent field characterized by highly alkaline and relatively low-temperature fluids that harbours huge carbonate chimneys. We have carried out a molecular survey based on 18S rDNA sequences of the eukaryotic communities associated with fluid-seawater interfaces and with carbonates from venting areas and the chimney wall. Our study reveals a variety of lineages belonging to eight major taxa: Metazoa, Fungi, Heterokonta (Stramenopiles), Alveolata, Radiolaria, Cercozoa, Heterolobosea and Euglenozoa. We detected one fungal lineage that appears to be widespread in hydrothermal systems both submarine and continental. Alveolates were the most abundant and diverse group in Lost City samples, although their distribution was very different in carbonate, where ciliates dominated, and in fluid-seawater libraries, where dinoflagellates, Group I and Group II (Syndiniales) marine alveolates were profuse. Similarly, Euglenozoa also displayed a differential distribution, kinetoplastids being present on carbonates and a novel group of diplonemids so far exclusively observed in the deep sea being dominant in fluid-seawater libraries. Protist lineages identified in this ecosystem likely correspond to grazers, decomposers and parasites, playing key roles in the food web of the Lost City ecosystem.     

Closely related protist strains have different grazing impacts on natural bacterial communities

Heterotrophic protists are abundant in most environments and exert a strong top‐down control on bacterial communities. However, little is known about how selective most protists are with respect to their bacterial prey. We conducted feeding trials using cercomonad and glissomonad Cercozoa by assaying them on a standardized, diverse bacterial community washed from beech leaf litter. For each of the nine protist strains assayed here, we measured several phenotypic traits (cell volume, speed, plasticity and protist cell density) that we anticipated would be important for their feeding ecology. We also estimated the genetic relatedness of the strains based on the 18S rRNA gene. We found that the nine protist strains had significantly different impacts on both the abundance and the composition of the bacterial communities. Both the phylogenetic distance between protist strains and differences in protist strain traits were important in explaining variation in the bacterial communities. Of the morphological traits that we investigated, protist cell volume and morphological plasticity (the extent to which cells showed amoeboid cell shape flexibility) were most important in determining bacterial community composition. The results demonstrate that closely related and morphologically similar protist species can have different impacts on their prey base.     

A Novel Alveolate in Bivalves with Chemosynthetic Bacteria Inhabiting Deep‐Sea Methane Seeps

It has recently been unveiled that a wide variety of microbial eukaryotes (protists) occur in chemosynthetic ecosystems, such as hydrothermal vents and methane seeps. However, there is little knowledge regarding protists associated with endemic animals inhabiting these environments. In the present study, utilizing PCR techniques, we detected fragments of the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene (SSU rRNA gene) from a particular protist from gill tissues of a significant fraction of the vesicomyid clams Calyptogena soyoae and C. okutanii complex and of the mussel Bathymodiolus platifrons and B. japonicus, all of which harbor chemosynthetic endosymbiont bacteria and dominate methane seeps in Sagami Bay, Japan. Based on the phylogeny of SSU rRNA gene, the organism in question was shown to belong to Alveolata. It is noteworthy that this protist did not affiliate with any known alveolate group, although being deeply branched within the lineage of Syndiniales, for which the monophyly was constantly recovered, but not robustly supported. In addition, the protist detected using PCR followed by sequencing was localized within gill epithelial cells of B. platifrons with whole‐mount fluorescence in situ hybridization. This protist may be an endoparasite or an endocommensal of Calyptogena spp. and Bathymodiolus spp., and possibly have physiological and ecological impacts on these bivalves.     

Phagotrophic Protist Diversity in the Groundwater of a Karstified Aquifer – Morphological and Molecular Analysis

To clarify the structure of microbial food webs in groundwater, knowledge about the protist diversity and feeding strategies is essential. We applied cultivation‐dependent approaches and molecular methods for further understanding of protist diversity in groundwater. Groundwater was sampled from a karstified aquifer located in the Thuringian Basin (Thuringia, Germany). Cultivable protist abundance estimated up to 8,000 cells/L. Eleven flagellates, 10 naked amoebae, and one ciliate morpho‐species were detected in groundwater enrichment cultures. Most of the flagellates morpho‐species, typically < 10 μm, were sessile or free swimming suspension feeders, e.g., Spumella spp., Monosiga spp., and mobile, surface‐associated forms that grasp biofilms, e.g., Bodo spp. Naked amoebae, typically < 35 μm, that grasp biofilms were represented by, e.g., Vahlkampfia spp., Vannella spp., and Hartmanella spp. The largest fraction of the 18S rRNA gene sequences was affiliated with Spumella‐like Stramenopiles. Besides, also sequences affiliated with fungi and metazoan grazers were detected in clone libraries of the groundwater. We hypothesize that small sized protist species take refuge in the structured surface of the fractures and fissures of the karstified aquifer and mainly feed on biofilm‐associated or suspended bacteria.     

Protist community composition during spring in an Arctic flaw lead polynya

The overwintering deployment of an icebreaker during the Canadian Flaw Lead study provided an opportunity to evaluate how protist communities (phytoplankton and other single-celled eukaryotes) respond to changing spring irradiance conditions in flaw lead polynyas, where open water persists between the central pack ice and land fast ice. We combined microscopic analysis of the protist communities (all cell sizes) with clone libraries of 18S rRNA genes and 18S rRNA (from RNA converted to cDNA) of size-fractionated seawater (0.2–3.0 μm) from 10 to 12 m depth in the surface mixed layer. The rRNA gene analysis provided information on the presence of organisms, while the rRNA analysis provided information on the most active members of the community. There was little overlap between the two types of clone libraries, and there were large community shifts over time. Heterotrophic dinoflagellates and ciliates were the most common sequences recovered. The relative proportion of photosynthetic protist sequences increased in March and April, and there was greater representation of Bacillariophyta, Prasinophyta, Haptophyta, and Cryptophyta in the rRNA compared to rRNA gene libraries. Microscopy indicated that large-celled diatoms dominated the community in May, when chlorophyll concentrations were greatest. However, the RNA sequencing showed that heterotrophic and putative parasitic protists were proportionately more active, and the concomitant decrease in nutrients suggested that the spring phytoplankton bloom had begun to decline by this time. These observations provide evidence of substantial changes in protist community structure and function during the spring transition.     

Characterization of Bacterial Communities in Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents from Three Oceanic Regions

Deep-sea hydrothermal vents are considered to be one of the most spectacular ecosystems on Earth. Microorganisms form the basis of the food chain in vents controlling the vent communities. However, the diversity of bacterial communities in deep-sea hydrothermal vents from different oceans remains largely unknown. In this study, the pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA gene was used to characterize the bacterial communities of the venting sulfide, seawater, and tubeworm trophosome from East Pacific Rise, South Atlantic Ridge, and Southwest Indian Ridge, respectively. A total of 23,767 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were assigned into 42 different phyla. Although Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes were the predominant phyla in all vents, differences of bacterial diversity were observed among different vents from three oceanic regions. The sulfides of East Pacific Rise possessed the most diverse bacterial communities. The bacterial diversities of venting seawater were much lower than those of vent sulfides. The symbiotic bacteria of tubeworm Ridgeia piscesae were included in the bacterial community of vent sulfides, suggesting their significant ecological functions as the primary producers in the deep-sea hydrothermal vent ecosystems. Therefore, our study presented a comprehensive view of bacterial communities in deep-sea hydrothermal vents from different oceans.     

Environmental drivers of plankton protist communities along latitudinal and vertical gradients in the oldest and deepest freshwater lake

Identifying which abiotic and biotic factors determine microbial community assembly is crucial to understand ecological processes and predict how communities will respond to environmental change. While global surveys aim at addressing this question in the world's oceans, equivalent studies in large freshwater systems are virtually lacking. Being the oldest, deepest and most voluminous freshwater lake on Earth, Lake Baikal offers a unique opportunity to test the effect of horizontal versus vertical gradients in community structure. Here, we characterized the structure of planktonic microbial eukaryotic communities (0.2–30 μm cell size) along a North–South latitudinal gradient (~600 km) from samples collected in coastal and pelagic waters and from surface to the deepest zones (5–1400 m) using an 18S rRNA gene metabarcoding approach. Our results show complex and diverse protist communities dominated by alveolates (ciliates and dinoflagellates), ochrophytes and holomycotan lineages, with cryptophytes, haptophytes, katablepharids and telonemids in moderate abundance and many low-frequency lineages, including several typical marine members, such as diplonemids, syndinians and radiolarians. Depth had a strong significant effect on protist community stratification. By contrast, the effect of the latitudinal gradient was marginal and no significant difference was observed between coastal and surface open water communities. Co-occurrence network analyses showed that epipelagic communities were significantly more interconnected than communities from the dark water column and suggest specific biotic interactions between autotrophic, heterotrophic and parasitic lineages that influence protist community structure. Since climate change is rapidly affecting Siberia and Lake Baikal, our comprehensive protist survey constitutes a useful reference to monitor ongoing community shifts.     

The functional morphology of the abyssal Limopsis cristata (Arcoida: Limopsidae) with a discussion on the evolution of the more advanced bivalve foot

The bivalve Limopsis cristata pursues a semi‐endobenthic life in abyssal soft sediments. It attaches to particles by up to three byssal threads and filter feeds by inhaling water from posterior and anterior directions. Because of partial burial, however, only the latter is functionally significant. Complex ciliary currents in the mantle cavity concerned with the rejection of unwanted particles keep most material out of the simplified intestine. It is generally considered that the ligament is the constraining force in arcoid evolution. This may be true in part, but the lack of pallial fusions and the retention of anterior and posterior inhalant flows are more powerful limits to radiation in the Arcoida. In the deep sea, the Limopsidae has radiated into many micro‐niches through micro‐morphological adaptations. Loss of the arcoid ‘heel’ has resulted in the union of the separate rejectory currents of the visceral mass and foot, creating a single discharge point in more advanced bivalves. This greatly simplifies the rejectory roles of the visceral mass and foot and is thus of functional and selective advantage.     

Effects of long‐term differential fertilization on eukaryotic microbial communities in an arable soil: a multiple barcoding approach

To understand the fine‐scale effects of changes in nutrient availability on eukaryotic soil microorganisms communities, a multiple barcoding approach was used to analyse soil samples from four different treatments in a long‐term fertilization experiment. We performed PCR amplification on soil DNA with primer pairs specifically targeting the 18S rRNA genes of all eukaryotes and three protist groups (Cercozoa, Chrysophyceae‐Synurophyceae and Kinetoplastida) as well as the ITS gene of fungi and the 23S plastid rRNA gene of photoautotrophic microorganisms. Amplicons were pyrosequenced, and a total of 88 706 quality filtered reads were clustered into 1232 operational taxonomic units (OTU) across the six data sets. Comparisons of the taxonomic coverage achieved based on overlapping assignment of OTUs revealed that half of the eukaryotic taxa identified were missed by the universal eukaryotic barcoding marker. There were only little differences in OTU richness observed between organic‐ (farmyard manure), mineral‐ and nonfertilized soils. However, the community compositions appeared to be strongly structured by organic fertilization in all data sets other than that generated using the universal eukaryotic 18S rRNA gene primers, whereas mineral fertilization had only a minor effect. In addition, a co‐occurrence based network analysis revealed complex potential interaction patterns between OTUs from different trophic levels, for example between fungivorous flagellates and fungi. Our results demonstrate that changes in pH, moisture and organic nutrients availability caused shifts in the composition of eukaryotic microbial communities at multiple trophic levels.     

Dietary‐driven variation effects on the symbiotic flagellate protist communities of the subterranean termite Reticulitermes grassei Clément

The ability of subterranean termites to digest lignocellulose relies not only on their digestive tract physiology, but also on the symbiotic relationships established with flagellate protists and bacteria. The objective of this work was to test the possible effect of different cellulose‐based diets on the community structure (species richness and other diversity metrics) of the flagellate protists of the subterranean termite Reticulitermes grassei. Termites belonging to the same colony were subjected to six different diets (natural diet, maritime pine wood, European beech, thermally modified European beech, cellulose powder and starvation), and their flagellate protist community was evaluated after the trials. All non‐treated sound woods produced similar flagellate protist communities that were more diverse and of high evenness (low dominance). On the contrary, flagellate protist communities from cellulose‐fed termites and starving termites were considered to be significantly different from all non‐treated woods; they were less diverse and some morphotypes became dominant as a consequence of flagellate protist communities having suffered major adaptations to these diets. The flagellate protist communities of untreated beech and thermally modified beech‐fed termites were considered to be significantly different in terms of abundance and morphotype diversity. This may be caused by a decrease in lignocellulose quality available for termites and from an interference of thermally treated wood with the chemical stability of the termite hindgut. Our study suggests that as a consequence of the strong division of labour among these protists to accomplish the intricate process of lignocellulose digestion, termite symbiotic flagellate protist communities are a dynamic assemblage able to adapt to different conditions and diets. This study is important for the community‐level alteration approach, and it is the first study to investigate the effects of thermally modified wood on the flagellate protist communities of subterranean termites.     

Molecular characterization of the microbial community in hydrogenetic ferromanganese crusts of the Takuyo-Daigo Seamount, northwest Pacific

The abundance and phylogenetic diversity of the microbial community in the hydrogenetic ferromanganese crust, sandy sediment and overlying seawater were investigated using a culture-independent molecular analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene. These samples were carefully collected from the Takuyo-Daigo Seamount, located in the northwest Pacific Ocean, by a remotely operated vehicle. Based on quantitative PCR analysis, Archaea occupy a significant portion of the prokaryotic communities in the ferromanganese crust and the sediment samples, while Bacteria dominated in the seawater samples. Phylotypes belonging to Gammaproteobacteria and to Marine group I (MGI) Crenarchaeota were abundant in clone libraries constructed from the ferromanganese crust and sediment samples, while those belonging to Alphaproteobacteria were abundant in that from the seawater sample. Comparative analysis indicates that over 80% of the total phylotype richness estimates for the crust community were unique as compared with the sediment and seawater communities. Phylotypes related to Nitrosospira belonging to the Betaproteobacteria and those related to Nitrosopumilus belonging to MGI Crenarchaeota were detected in the ferromanganese crust, suggesting that these ammonia-oxidizing chemolithoautotrophs play a role as primary producers in the microbial ecosystem of hydrogenetic ferromanganese crusts that was formed as precipitates from seawater.     

Organic sulfur metabolisms in hydrothermal environments

Sulfur is central to the metabolisms of many organisms that inhabit extreme environments. While biotic and abiotic cycling of organic sulfur compounds has been well documented in low‐temperature anaerobic environments, cycling of organic sulfur in hydrothermal environments has received less attention. Recently published thermodynamic data have been used to estimate aqueous alkyl thiol and sulfide activities in deep‐sea hydrothermal systems. Here we use geochemical mixing models to predict fluid compositions that result from mixing end‐member hydrothermal fluid from the East Pacific Rise with bottom seawater. These fluid compositions are combined with estimates of methanethiol and dimethylsulfide activities to evaluate energy yields for potential organic sulfur‐based metabolisms under hydrothermal conditions. Aerobic respiration has the highest energy yields (over ?240 kJ/mol e^?) at lower temperature; however, oxygen is unlikely to persist at high temperatures, restricting aerobic respiration to mesophilic communities. Nitrite reduction to N₂ has the highest energy yields at higher temperatures (greater than ～40 °C). Nitrate and nitrite reduction to ammonium also yield significant energy (up to ?70 kJ/mol e^?). Much lower, but still feasible energy yields are calculated for sulfate reduction, disproportionation, and reduction with H₂. Organic compound family and the activity of methanethiol and dimethylsulfide were less important than metabolic strategy in determining overall energy yields. All metabolic strategies considered were exergonic within some portion of the mixing regime suggesting that organic sulfur‐based metabolisms may be prevalent within deep‐sea hydrothermal vent microbial communities.     

SSU‐rRNA Gene Sequencing Survey of Benthic Microbial Eukaryotes from Guaymas Basin Hydrothermal Vent

Microbial eukaryotes have important roles in marine food webs, but their diversity and activities in hydrothermal vent ecosystems are poorly characterized. In this study, we analyzed microbial eukaryotic communities associated with bacterial (Beggiatoa) mats in the 2,000 m deep‐sea Guaymas Basin hydrothermal vent system using 18S rRNA gene high‐throughput sequencing of the V4 region. We detected 6,954 distinct Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) across various mat systems. Of the sequences that aligned with known protistan phylotypes, most were affiliated with alveolates (especially dinoflagellates and ciliates) and cercozoans. OTU richness and community structure differed among sediment habitats (e.g. different mat types and cold sediments away from mats). Additionally, full‐length 18S rRNA genes amplified and cloned from single cells revealed the identities of some of the most commonly encountered, active ciliates in this hydrothermal vent ecosystem. Observations and experiments were also conducted to demonstrate that ciliates were trophically active and ingesting fluorescent bacteria or Beggiatoa trichomes. Our work suggests that the active and diverse protistan community at the Guaymas Basin hydrothermal vent ecosystem likely consumes substantial amounts of bacterial biomass, and that the different habitats, often defined by distances of just a few 10s of cm, select for particular assemblages and levels of diversity.     

Microbial diversity and biogeochemistry of the Guaymas Basin deep‐sea hydrothermal plume

Hydrothermal plumes are hot spots of microbial biogeochemistry in the deep ocean, yet little is known about the diversity or ecology of microorganisms inhabiting plumes. Recent biogeochemical evidence shows that Mn(II) oxidation in the Guaymas Basin (GB) hydrothermal plume is microbially mediated and suggests that the plume microbial community is distinct from deep‐sea communities. Here we use a molecular approach to compare microbial diversity in the GB plume and in background deep seawater communities, and cultivation to identify Mn(II)‐oxidizing bacteria from plumes and sediments. Despite dramatic differences in Mn(II) oxidation rates between plumes and background seawater, microbial diversity and membership were remarkably similar. All bacterial clone libraries were dominated by Gammaproteobacteria and archaeal clone libraries were dominated by Crenarchaeota. Two lineages, both phylogenetically related to methanotrophs and/or methylotrophs, were consistently over‐represented in the plume. Eight Mn(II)‐oxidizing bacteria were isolated, but none of these or previously identified Mn(II) oxidizers were abundant in clone libraries. Taken together with Mn(II) oxidation rates measured in laboratory cultures and in the field, these results suggest that Mn(II) oxidation in the GB hydrothermal plume is mediated by genome‐level dynamics (gene content and/or expression) of microorganisms that are indigenous and abundant in the deep sea but have yet to be unidentified as Mn(II) oxidizers.     

High‐throughput sequencing reveals neustonic and planktonic microbial eukaryote diversity in coastal waters

Neustonic organisms inhabit the sea surface microlayer (SML) and have important roles in marine ecosystem functioning. Here, we use high‐throughput 18S rRNA gene sequencing to characterize protist and fungal diversity in the SML at a coastal time‐series station and compare with underlying plankton assemblages. Protist diversity was higher in February (pre‐bloom) compared to April (spring bloom), and was lower in the neuston than in the plankton. Major protist groups, including Stramenopiles and Alveolata, dominated both neuston and plankton assemblages. Chrysophytes and diatoms were enriched in the neuston in April, with diatoms showing distinct changes in community composition between the sampling periods. Pezizomycetes dominated planktonic fungi assemblages, whereas fungal diversity in the neuston was more varied. This is the first study to utilize a molecular‐based approach to characterize neustonic protist and fungal assemblages, and provides the most comprehensive diversity assessment to date of this ecosystem. Variability in the SML microeukaryote assemblage structure has potential implications for biogeochemical and food web processes at the air‐sea interface.     

Microbial diversity of a sulphide spire located in the Edmond deep-sea hydrothermal vent field on the Central Indian Ridge

A culture‐independent molecular phylogenetic survey was carried out for a bacterial and archaeal community of a mineralized crust coating a sulphide spire, which was collected from the Edmond vent field (23° S, 69° E, 3300 m depth) on the Central Indian Ridge. Small‐subunit rRNA genes (16S rDNA) were amplified from environmental DNA by PCR utilizing Bacteria‐specific, and Archaea‐specific 16S rDNA primers. PCR products were cloned and 26 bacterial and nine archaeal unique sequence types (phylotypes) were identified from 150 clones analysed by restriction fragment length polymorphism, representing eight and four distinct lineages, respectively. The majority (>90%) of the bacterial phylotypes group with the ?‐Proteobacteria and confirms the global prevalence of ?‐Proteobacteria in deep‐sea hydrothermal environments. Among the ?‐Proteobacteria, >40% of the phylotypes were closely related to the recently isolated deep‐sea vent thermophilic chemolithoautotrophic sulphur‐reducer, Nautilia lithotrophica. A single bacterial sequence was nearly identical (99% similarity) to the thermophilic hydrogen‐oxidizing Hydrogenobacter thermolithotrophum, and is the first report of Hydrogenobacter at deep‐sea hydrothermal vents. A majority (97%) of the archaeal phylotypes grouped with the ‘Deep‐sea Hydrothermal Vent Euryarchaeotal Group’, a phylogenetic lineage of uncultured Archaea that have only been reported from other deep‐sea hydrothermal vents on the Mid‐Atlantic Ridge, East Pacific Rise, Juan de Fuca Ridge, Isu–Ogasawara Arc, Okinawa Trough and the Manus Basin. A single sequence was closely related to the hyperthermophilic sulphur‐reducing Thermococcales frequently found in diverse deep‐sea vent environments. Scanning electron micrographs of the mineralized crust reveal abundant filamentous, rod and coccoidal forms encased in sulphur and sulphide mineral precipitate, suggesting that the thermophilic chemolithoautorophs and sulphide‐producing heterotrophs may influence the architecture and sulphur cycling of the sulphide spire.     

Cultivation and growth characteristics of a diverse group of oligotrophic marine Gammaproteobacteria

Forty-four novel strains of Gammaproteobacteria were cultivated from coastal and pelagic regions of the Pacific Ocean using high-throughput culturing methods that rely on dilution to extinction in very low nutrient media. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the isolates fell into five rRNA clades, all of which contained rRNA gene sequences reported previously from seawater environmental gene clone libraries (SAR92, OM60, OM182, BD1-7, and KI89A). Bootstrap analyses of phylogenetic reliability did not support collapsing these five clades into a single clade, and they were therefore named the oligotrophic marine Gammaproteobacteria (OMG) group. Twelve cultures chosen to represent the five clades were successively purified in liquid culture, and their growth characteristics were determined at different temperatures and dissolved organic carbon concentrations. The isolates in the OMG group were physiologically diverse heterotrophs, and their physiological properties generally followed their phylogenetic relationships. None of the isolates in the OMG group formed colonies on low- or high-nutrient agar upon their first isolation from seawater, while 7 of 12 isolates that were propagated for laboratory testing eventually produced colonies on 1/10 R2A agar. The isolates grew relatively slowly in natural seawater media (1.23 to 2.63 day(-1)), and none of them grew in high-nutrient media (>351 mg of C liter(-1)). The isolates were psychro- to mesophilic and obligately oligotrophic; many of them were of ultramicrobial size (<0.1 micro m(3)). This cultivation study revealed that sporadically detected Gammaproteobacteria gene clones from seawater are part of a phylogenetically diverse constellation of organisms mainly composed of oligotrophic and ultramicrobial lineages that are culturable under specific cultivation conditions.     

Development and cross‐amplification of nine polymorphic microsatellite markers in the deep‐sea hydrothermal vent polychaete Branchipolynoe seepensis

The hydrothermal vent polychaete Branchipolynoe seepensis lives commensally inside the mantel cavity of the bivalves Bathymodiolus azoricus and Bathymodiolus puteoserpentis that form dense mussel beds around hydrothermal vents on the Mid‐Atlantic Ridge. In order to study its dispersal capabilities and the way individuals develop and reproduce, nine microsatellite polymorphic markers were developed. Polymorphism was tested from three well‐separated populations ranging from 14°N to 35°N along the ridge and showed significant levels of genetic differentiation. Cross‐amplification tests in other polynoid species revealed that most loci could also be useful to study closely related species from both Atlantic and Pacific sites.     

Thermal stress responses in the bacterial biosphere of the Great Barrier Reef sponge,Rhopaloeides odorabile

Marine sponges are diverse, abundant and provide a crucial coupling point between benthic and pelagic habitats due to their high filtration rates. They also harbour extensive microbial communities, with many microbial phylotypes found exclusively in sponge hosts and not in the seawater or surrounding environment, i.e. so‐called sponge‐specific clusters (SCs) or sponge‐ and coral‐specific clusters (SCCs). We employed DNA (16S rRNA gene) and RNA (16S rRNA)‐based amplicon pyrosequencing to investigate the effects of sublethal thermal stress on the bacterial biosphere of the Great Barrier Reef sponge Rhopaloeides odorabile. A total of 8381 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) (97% sequence similarity) were identified, affiliated with 32 bacterial phyla from seawater samples, 23 bacterial phyla from sponge DNA extracts and 18 bacterial phyla from sponge RNA extracts. Sublethal thermal stress (31°C) had no effect on the present and/or active portions of the R. odorabile bacterial community but a shift in the bacterial assemblage was observed in necrotic sponges. Over two‐thirds of DNA and RNA sequences could be assigned to previously defined SCs/SCCs in healthy sponges whereas only 12% of reads from necrotic sponges could be assigned to SCs/SCCs. A rapid decline in host health over a 1°C temperature increment suggests that sponges such as R. odorabile may be highly vulnerable to the effects of global climate change.     

Microbial communities associated with geological horizons in coastal subseafloor sediments from the sea of okhotsk

Microbial communities from a subseafloor sediment core from the southwestern Sea of Okhotsk were evaluated by performing both cultivation-dependent and cultivation-independent (molecular) analyses. The core, which extended 58.1 m below the seafloor, was composed of pelagic clays with several volcanic ash layers containing fine pumice grains. Direct cell counting and quantitative PCR analysis of archaeal and bacterial 16S rRNA gene fragments indicated that the bacterial populations in the ash layers were approximately 2 to 10 times larger than those in the clays. Partial sequences of 1,210 rRNA gene clones revealed that there were qualitative differences in the microbial communities from the two different types of layers. Two phylogenetically distinct archaeal assemblages in the Crenarchaeota, the miscellaneous crenarchaeotic group and the deep-sea archaeal group, were the most predominant archaeal 16S rRNA gene components in the ash layers and the pelagic clays, respectively. Clones of 16S rRNA gene sequences from members of the gamma subclass of the class Proteobacteria dominated the ash layers, whereas sequences from members of the candidate division OP9 and the green nonsulfur bacteria dominated the pelagic clay environments. Molecular (16S rRNA gene sequence) analysis of 181 isolated colonies revealed that there was regional proliferation of viable heterotrophic mesophiles in the volcanic ash layers, along with some gram-positive bacteria and actinobacteria. The porous ash layers, which ranged in age from tens of thousands of years to hundreds of thousands of years, thus appear to be discrete microbial habitats within the coastal subseafloor clay sediment, which are capable of harboring microbial communities that are very distinct from the communities in the more abundant pelagic clays.