CAREER: Testing the effects of predator-derived feces on host symbiont acquisition and health

职业：测试捕食者粪便对宿主共生体获取和健康的影响

• 批准号: 2145472
• 负责人: Adrienne Simoes Correa
• 金额: $ 98.22万
• 依托单位: William Marsh Rice University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-04-01 至 2027-03-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2145472&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Testing; effects; predator; derived

Climate change and local-scale anthropogenic stressors are degrading coral reefs across the globe. When conditions become too stressful on reefs, corals can lose beneficial microbial symbionts (e.g., dinoflagellates in the family Symbiodiniaceae) that live in their tissues via a process called “bleaching”. Although Symbiodiniaceae play key roles in the health of coral colonies, we know little about the processes that make symbionts available in the environment to prospective host corals. This research test the extent to which coral-eating fish feces, which contain live Symbiodiniaceae, facilitate symbiont acquisition by corals in their early life stages. It will generate seminal knowledge on how corallivore feces impact coral symbioses and health, and will assess the ecological importance of corallivorous fishes as drivers of coral symbiont assemblages. This research also test the extent to which corallivore feces are a source of food and nutrients that impact coral health; this has particular relevance to the survival and recovery of bleached adult corals. This research can ultimately inform intervention strategies to support reef resilience and mitigate reef degradation. Results from this project will be communicated widely in scientific arenas, in undergraduate education programs, and to the public via multimedia content and outreach. The Houston Independent School District (HISD, Houston, TX) is the nation’s 7th largest public school system. This work will enrich environmental science curricula for underrepresented minority students at under-resourced HISD high schools. This work will also support economically disadvantaged and first-generation undergraduate students in pursuing STEM majors and careers through multi-year research experiences.Symbioses between foundation species (e.g., corals, sponges, trees) and microbiota (e.g., microeukaryotes, bacteria) underpin the biodiversity, productivity, and stability of ecosystems. Consumers, such as predators and herbivores, shape communities of these foundation species through trophic interactions. For instance, grazers contribute to the maintenance of coral dominance on reefs via consumption of macroalgal competitors. However, the indirect effects of other consumers on foundation species are rarely examined. Few studies have tested how consumers affect microbiota assembly in corals, even though coral symbionts (e.g., dinoflagellates in the family Symbiodiniaceae) play key roles in reef function and persistence. Corallivorous (coral-eating) fishes were recently demonstrated to egest large quantities of live Symbiodiniaceae cells as they swim across reefs. This research is testing the hypothesis that corallivore feces promote coral dominance on reefs by supporting coral acquisition of key symbionts and nutrients. The following research objectives will be accomplished: (1) to quantify the contribution of corallivorous fish feces to coral symbiont acquisition; and (2) to test the extent to which corallivorous fish feces influence coral health and recovery from thermal stress. Reefs are being degraded globally due to climate-change induced bleaching and associated mortality. This project is teasing apart the extent to which nutrients and/or live symbionts associated with corallivore feces contribute to the resilience of bleached corals under ambient and heat stress conditions. The research is tightly integrated with two education objectives: (1) to organize a Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program in which rigorous learning modules that high school teachers can incorporate into their Environmental Systems course offerings are developed and tested; and (2) to provide undergraduate students with a multi-year research experience through a partnership with the Rice Emerging Scholars Program (RESP).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

气候变化和局部规模的人为应激源正在使全球珊瑚礁降解。当条件对礁石上的压力太大时，珊瑚可能会失去有益的微生物符号（例如，家族共生科中的鞭毛鞭毛）通过称为“漂白”的过程在其组织中生活。尽管共生菌科在珊瑚殖民地的健康中起着关键作用，但我们对在环境中提供了潜在宿主珊瑚的符号的过程知之甚少。这项研究测试了含有活体共生科的珊瑚鱼粪便的程度，促进了珊瑚在早期生命阶段获得符号的符号。它将获得有关珊瑚虫粪便如何影响珊瑚符号和健康的第二个知识，并将评估珊瑚虫鱼作为珊瑚符号组合的驱动力的生态重要性。这项研究还测试了珊瑚牛粪是影响珊瑚健康的食物和营养的来源。这与漂白成年珊瑚的生存和恢复特别相关。这项研究最终可以为干预策略提供信息，以支持珊瑚礁的弹性并减轻珊瑚礁的退化。该项目的结果将在科学领域，本科教育计划中广泛传达，并通过多媒体内容和外展向公众传达。休斯顿独立学区（HISD，德克萨斯州休斯顿）是美国第七大公立学校系统。这项工作将为资源不足的HISD高中的少数族裔学生提供丰富的环境科学课程。这项工作还将通过多年的研究经验来支持经济上的弱势和第一代本科生，以追求STEM专业和职业。基础物种（例如，珊瑚，海绵，树木）和微生物群（例如，微生物，细菌，细菌）的基础物种之间的共生性。消费者，例如捕食者和食草动物，通过营养相互作用来塑造这些基础物种的社区。例如，图形者通过消费宏观竞争对手来促进珊瑚礁上的珊瑚色优势。但是，很少检查其他消费者对基础物种的间接影响。很少有研究测试消费者如何影响珊瑚中的微生物群的组装，即使珊瑚符号（例如，家族共生科中的鞭毛藻）在礁石功能和持久性中起关键作用。最近，在珊瑚礁游泳时，珊瑚虫（珊瑚捕食）鱼类被证明了大量的活体共生科细胞。这项研究正在检验以下假设，即珊瑚菜的粪便通过支持关键符号和营养的珊瑚获取来促进珊瑚礁上的珊瑚色优势。将实现以下研究目标：（1）量化珊瑚鱼粪便对珊瑚symbolt获取的贡献； （2）测试珊瑚鱼粪便影响珊瑚健康和从热应激中恢复的程度。由于气候变化引起的漂白和相关的死亡率，全球礁石正在降级。该项目正在嘲笑与珊瑚果粪便相关的营养和/或活符号在环境和热应激条件下有助于漂白珊瑚的弹性。这项研究与两个教育目标紧密融合：（1）为教师（RET）计划组织研究经验，在该计划中，高中教师可以将这些模块纳入其环境系统课程的产品； （2）通过与赖斯新兴学者计划（RESS）的合作伙伴关系为本科生提供多年的研究经验。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并通过使用基金会的知识分子的智力和更广泛的影响来评估NSF的法定任务。

项目成果

Consumer feces impact coral health in guild-specific ways

消费者粪便以特定方式影响珊瑚健康

• DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2023.1110346
• 发表时间: 2023
• 期刊: Frontiers in Marine Science
• 影响因子: 3.7
• 作者: Grupstra, Carsten G.;Howe-Kerr, Lauren I.;van der Meulen, Jesse A.;Veglia, Alex J.;Coy, Samantha R.;Correa, Adrienne M.
• 通讯作者: Correa, Adrienne M.

Thank you for biting: dispersal of beneficial microbiota through 'antagonistic' interactions

• DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2022.03.006
• 发表时间: 2022-09-12
• 期刊: TRENDS IN MICROBIOLOGY
• 影响因子: 15.9
• 作者: Grupstra, C. G. B.;Lemoine, N. P.;Correa, A. M. S.
• 通讯作者: Correa, A. M. S.