CAREER: Linking Microbial Phylogenetic and Functional Gene Diversity to Microbial Mat Ecosystem Function Following Environmental Disturbance

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Ecosystems are extremely complex entities generated and maintained through the interactions of numerous abiotic and biotic factors. While many ecosystems have been characterized based on overall ecosystem function, the role of microorganisms is often overlooked or oversimplified due to technical and conceptual challenges. This oversimplification has resulted in ecological models that do not accurately account for the impacts of biodiversity on ecosystem function during periods of environmental change. Given that the global microbiome is the largest biological reservoir on Earth and forms the foundation of all ecosystems, it is critically important to better understand how environmental factors trigger changes in microbial community structure and function and how these changes impact overall ecosystem function. To address this knowledge gap, this project will utilize technological developments in high throughput metagenomic and metatranscriptomic DNA sequencing to examine microbes in a lagoon ecosystem over temporal scales following environmental perturbations. The objectives of this study are to understand the environmental cues that trigger taxonomic shifts (e.g. from rare to dominant), to examine the functional redundancy within rare and abundant taxa, and to explore the link between community gene expression and taxon-level traits and overall ecosystem function. Results from this study will help refine ecosystem models by defining the links between microbial taxonomic and functional gene diversity, environmental factors, and rates of ecosystem processes. Furthermore, by understanding the role of microbial diversity in the resilience of microbial mat communities in the lagoons, results from the proposed studies may have a transformative impact on ecosystem science and evolutionary biology. As a means of integrating cutting edge science into education, a strong university, community, and international-level outreach program will be developed to: (1) enhance graduate education by developing a new molecular microbial ecology course; (2) enhance undergraduate, graduate, and postdoc laboratory and field experiences; (3) provide local high school students and teachers with lab and field-based experiences by the expansion of a previous NSF-supported Young Genomic Scientists Program; (4) enhance environmental awareness of the general public by generating a microbial mat exhibit to be displayed at the nationally-renowned EdVenture Children?s Museum (200,000 visitors per year); and (5) enhance ecosystem awareness of Bahamian children and science teachers.