Macroalgal Morphology affects composition and settlement of microbial communities
Citation
MGnify (2018). Macroalgal Morphology affects composition and settlement of microbial communities. Sampling event dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/ww62p1 accessed via GBIF.org on 2024-12-12.Description
Macroalgae (seaweeds) have an intimate relationship with their microbial symbionts. Microbial communities associated with macroalgal surfaces (epibiota) are generally host-specific and, historically, there has been great interest in the role of biological compounds and chemical warfare in microbial community assembly on seaweeds. However, the interaction between seaweeds and their environment may also influence community assembly of their microbiota. In this experiment, I ask whether the interaction between water flow and seaweed morphology affects the settlement and structure of microbial biofilms. I test whether three common algal morphologies select for differential biofilm communities using artificial macro algae units (AM units) made out of latex. I find that morphology does affect initial microbial settlement and community structure, but that eventual dominance of substrate specialists (in our case, a latex degrader) swamps the influence of morphology in long-term biofilms.Sampling Description
Sampling
Macroalgae (seaweeds) have an intimate relationship with their microbial symbionts. Microbial communities associated with macroalgal surfaces (epibiota) are generally host-specific and, historically, there has been great interest in the role of biological compounds and chemical warfare in microbial community assembly on seaweeds. However, the interaction between seaweeds and their environment may also influence community assembly of their microbiota. In this experiment, I ask whether the interaction between water flow and seaweed morphology affects the settlement and structure of microbial biofilms. I test whether three common algal morphologies select for differential biofilm communities using artificial macro algae units (AM units) made out of latex. I find that morphology does affect initial microbial settlement and community structure, but that eventual dominance of substrate specialists (in our case, a latex degrader) swamps the influence of morphology in long-term biofilms.Method steps
- Pipeline used: https://www.ebi.ac.uk/metagenomics/pipelines/4.1
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originatorUNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
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UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
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UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA