RAPID:Collaborative Research: Micro- and macro-ecological succession in anchialine habitats during creation via volcanism

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Lava flows create new, initially sterile habitats. The identity of the initial colonizers of these habitats, subsequent invaders, and the repeatability of this process is important for understanding the establishment of ecosystem processes like nutrient cycling. Identifying steps in habitat maturation also shapes conservation strategies for endangered species and rare environments. These processes are virtually unknown in the anchialine ecosystem, which consists of coastal, landlocked bodies of water influenced by fresh and oceanic waters. Anchialine habitats are rare worldwide but are concentrated in Hawaii. Hawaiian anchialine habitats are home to a diverse array of animals, plants, and microbes, many of which are found nowhere else. In 2018 lava flows from the Kilauea volcano created several new anchialine habitats on the east coast of Hawaii, presenting an exceptional chance to examine how ecology emerges in the anchialine ecosystem. The researchers will leverage this opportunity to detail how these unusual habitats change over time. Microbial and animal communities will be characterized as they become established. This research will advance our understanding of the anchialine ecosystem, especially its microbes, which may prove useful for future medical or commercial applications. Underrepresented groups in STEM (including native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders) will take an active role in this research. Hundreds of microbial samples will be collected during a time series in anchialine habitats undergoing development. Microbial community structure will be analyzed using DNA sequencing technology. These “young” communities will be compared to ones previously characterized from other, “mature” Hawaiian anchialine habitats. This research will address the repeatability of anchialine community formation and whether new habitats are converging on microbial communities similar to those in established habitats. To complement these microbial analyses, presence and abundance of a keystone shrimp species in the new anchialine habitats will also be assessed. Population genomic tools will be used to test the origins of the colonizing shrimp, as the lava flows may have caused local extinctions in this species. Physiological experiments in shrimp will also be performed to examine thermal adaptations stemming from elevated temperatures due to volcanic activity. Because shrimp act as important grazers on the microbial communities, correlations between shrimp abundance and microbial community composition will also be explored.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.