The road forward to incorporate seawater microbes in predictive reef monitoring

Marko Terzin; Patrick W. Laffy; Steven Robbins; Yun Kit Yeoh; Pedro R. Frade; Bettina Glasl; Nicole S. Webster; David G. Bourne

doi:10.1186/s40793-023-00543-4

The road forward to incorporate seawater microbes in predictive reef monitoring

Marko Terzin (Corresponding author)
, Patrick W. Laffy
, Steven Robbins
, Yun Kit Yeoh
, Pedro R. Frade
, Bettina Glasl
, Nicole S. Webster
, David G. Bourne (Corresponding author)

Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science

Publications: Contribution to journal › Article › Peer Reviewed

Abstract

Marine bacterioplankton underpin the health and function of coral reefs and respond in a rapid and sensitive manner to environmental changes that affect reef ecosystem stability. Numerous meta-omics surveys over recent years have documented persistent associations of opportunistic seawater microbial taxa, and their associated functions, with metrics of environmental stress and poor reef health (e.g. elevated temperature, nutrient loads and macroalgae cover). Through positive feedback mechanisms, disturbance-triggered heterotrophic activity of seawater microbes is hypothesised to drive keystone benthic organisms towards the limit of their resilience and translate into shifts in biogeochemical cycles which influence marine food webs, ultimately affecting entire reef ecosystems. However, despite nearly two decades of work in this space, a major limitation to using seawater microbes in reef monitoring is a lack of a unified and focused approach that would move beyond the indicator discovery phase and towards the development of rapid microbial indicator assays for (near) real-time reef management and decision-making. By reviewing the current state of knowledge, we provide a comprehensive framework (defined as five phases of research and innovation) to catalyse a shift from fundamental to applied research, allowing us to move from descriptive to predictive reef monitoring, and from reactive to proactive reef management.

Original language	English
Article number	5
Number of pages	13
Journal	Environmental Microbiome
Volume	19
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1186/s40793-023-00543-4
Publication status	Published - 15 Jan 2024

Funding

This work took place at the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) headquarters at Cape Ferguson, and we wish to acknowledge the Wulgurukaba and Bindal peoples as the Traditional Owners of that land. This research was also undertaken at the JCU Townsville Bebegu Yumba campus, and the authors acknowledge that the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are the original inhabitants and traditional custodians of this continent and have unique cultural and spiritual relationships to the land and waters. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present, and emerging. This study forms part of the Australia’s Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) Great Barrier Reef Microbial Genomic Database sub-facility, funded by the Queensland Research Infrastructure Co-investment Fund (RICF) by the Department of Environment and Science, Queensland. IMOS is enabled by the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS). It is operated by a consortium of institutions as an unincorporated joint venture, with the University of Tasmania as Lead Agent. This study was also funded by an AIMS@JCU PhD Scholarship to M.T. The funders had no role in performing the literature review, preparation of the manuscript, or decision to publish.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 14 Life Below Water

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

106001 General biology
106026 Ecosystem research
106022 Microbiology

Keywords

Coral reef health
Functional meta-omics
Microbial monitoring
Reef bacterioplankton

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10.1186/s40793-023-00543-4

Cite this

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title = "The road forward to incorporate seawater microbes in predictive reef monitoring",

abstract = "Marine bacterioplankton underpin the health and function of coral reefs and respond in a rapid and sensitive manner to environmental changes that affect reef ecosystem stability. Numerous meta-omics surveys over recent years have documented persistent associations of opportunistic seawater microbial taxa, and their associated functions, with metrics of environmental stress and poor reef health (e.g. elevated temperature, nutrient loads and macroalgae cover). Through positive feedback mechanisms, disturbance-triggered heterotrophic activity of seawater microbes is hypothesised to drive keystone benthic organisms towards the limit of their resilience and translate into shifts in biogeochemical cycles which influence marine food webs, ultimately affecting entire reef ecosystems. However, despite nearly two decades of work in this space, a major limitation to using seawater microbes in reef monitoring is a lack of a unified and focused approach that would move beyond the indicator discovery phase and towards the development of rapid microbial indicator assays for (near) real-time reef management and decision-making. By reviewing the current state of knowledge, we provide a comprehensive framework (defined as five phases of research and innovation) to catalyse a shift from fundamental to applied research, allowing us to move from descriptive to predictive reef monitoring, and from reactive to proactive reef management.",

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author = "Marko Terzin and Laffy, \{Patrick W.\} and Steven Robbins and Yeoh, \{Yun Kit\} and Frade, \{Pedro R.\} and Bettina Glasl and Webster, \{Nicole S.\} and Bourne, \{David G.\}",

note = "Funding Information: This work took place at the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) headquarters at Cape Ferguson, and we wish to acknowledge the Wulgurukaba and Bindal peoples as the Traditional Owners of that land. This research was also undertaken at the JCU Townsville Bebegu Yumba campus, and the authors acknowledge that the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are the original inhabitants and traditional custodians of this continent and have unique cultural and spiritual relationships to the land and waters. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present, and emerging. Funding Information: This study forms part of the Australia{\textquoteright}s Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) Great Barrier Reef Microbial Genomic Database sub-facility, funded by the Queensland Research Infrastructure Co-investment Fund (RICF) by the Department of Environment and Science, Queensland. IMOS is enabled by the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS). It is operated by a consortium of institutions as an unincorporated joint venture, with the University of Tasmania as Lead Agent. This study was also funded by an AIMS@JCU PhD Scholarship to M.T. The funders had no role in performing the literature review, preparation of the manuscript, or decision to publish. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024, Crown.",

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AU - Terzin, Marko

AU - Laffy, Patrick W.

AU - Robbins, Steven

AU - Yeoh, Yun Kit

AU - Frade, Pedro R.

AU - Glasl, Bettina

AU - Webster, Nicole S.

AU - Bourne, David G.

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N2 - Marine bacterioplankton underpin the health and function of coral reefs and respond in a rapid and sensitive manner to environmental changes that affect reef ecosystem stability. Numerous meta-omics surveys over recent years have documented persistent associations of opportunistic seawater microbial taxa, and their associated functions, with metrics of environmental stress and poor reef health (e.g. elevated temperature, nutrient loads and macroalgae cover). Through positive feedback mechanisms, disturbance-triggered heterotrophic activity of seawater microbes is hypothesised to drive keystone benthic organisms towards the limit of their resilience and translate into shifts in biogeochemical cycles which influence marine food webs, ultimately affecting entire reef ecosystems. However, despite nearly two decades of work in this space, a major limitation to using seawater microbes in reef monitoring is a lack of a unified and focused approach that would move beyond the indicator discovery phase and towards the development of rapid microbial indicator assays for (near) real-time reef management and decision-making. By reviewing the current state of knowledge, we provide a comprehensive framework (defined as five phases of research and innovation) to catalyse a shift from fundamental to applied research, allowing us to move from descriptive to predictive reef monitoring, and from reactive to proactive reef management.

AB - Marine bacterioplankton underpin the health and function of coral reefs and respond in a rapid and sensitive manner to environmental changes that affect reef ecosystem stability. Numerous meta-omics surveys over recent years have documented persistent associations of opportunistic seawater microbial taxa, and their associated functions, with metrics of environmental stress and poor reef health (e.g. elevated temperature, nutrient loads and macroalgae cover). Through positive feedback mechanisms, disturbance-triggered heterotrophic activity of seawater microbes is hypothesised to drive keystone benthic organisms towards the limit of their resilience and translate into shifts in biogeochemical cycles which influence marine food webs, ultimately affecting entire reef ecosystems. However, despite nearly two decades of work in this space, a major limitation to using seawater microbes in reef monitoring is a lack of a unified and focused approach that would move beyond the indicator discovery phase and towards the development of rapid microbial indicator assays for (near) real-time reef management and decision-making. By reviewing the current state of knowledge, we provide a comprehensive framework (defined as five phases of research and innovation) to catalyse a shift from fundamental to applied research, allowing us to move from descriptive to predictive reef monitoring, and from reactive to proactive reef management.

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DO - 10.1186/s40793-023-00543-4

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SN - 2524-6372

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JO - Environmental Microbiome

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ER -

The road forward to incorporate seawater microbes in predictive reef monitoring

Abstract

Funding

UN SDGs

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

Keywords

Access to Document

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