Fungal diversity of marine biofilms on artificial reefs in the north-central Gulf of Mexico

2016 ◽  
Vol 59 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy L. Salamone ◽  
Brent M. Robicheau ◽  
Allison K. Walker
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Fungal Community ◽  
Fungal Diversity ◽  
Community Diversity ◽  
Artificial Reefs ◽  
Morphological Identification ◽  
Fungal Community Composition ◽  
North Central ◽  
High Profile ◽  
The North

AbstractWe present the first characterization of fungal community diversity of natural mixed-species biofilms on artificial marine reefs. Four artificial reefs in the Mississippi (MS) Sound, USA, representing low-profile (underwater) and high-profile (periodically air-exposed) conditions were sampled every 3 months over a 23-month period to investigate changes in fungal diversity within reef biofilms. Fungal presence was assessed via PCR amplification of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of fungal ribosomal DNA, and by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of fungal ITS regions – the latter being used to track variation in fungal community structure with respect to season, location, and reef profile type. Fungal communities were also characterized taxonomically through both morphological identification and phylogenetic comparisons of ITS gene sequences, with 36 fungal genera cultured from reef biofilms. Using a multivariate statistical approach, significant temporal and spatial differences in fungal biofilm communities were detected. High-profile reefs differed significantly in biofilm fungal community composition across the 10 sampling periods. This assessment of marine fungal biofilm communities over time provides novel insights into the fungal diversity present on artificial reefs in an understudied region, the north-central Gulf of Mexico.

Red Snapper: Ecology and Fisheries in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico

2007 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Stomach Content Analysis ◽  
Red Snapper ◽  
Artificial Reefs ◽  
Order Estimate ◽  
Lutjanus Campechanus ◽  
North Central ◽  
The North ◽  
Specific Diet ◽  
The U.S

<em>Abstract.</em>—Red snapper, <em>Lutjanus campechanus</em>, is a heavily exploited reef fish that is harvested in the Gulf of Mexico from both natural and artificial reefs. Since regulations were imposed in 1990, the stock has begun to recover; this recovery has also been attributed in part to an increase in artificial habitats/reefs. However, little is known about the role artificial reefs play in the trophic dynamics of the species. To this end, the seasonal and size-specific diet of red snapper was examined through stomach content analysis of individuals collected from artificial reefs in the north-central Gulf of Mexico off Alabama between May 1999 and April 2000. Diet information was subsequently combined with data from the literature to obtain a first-order estimate of prey demand of the red snapper population on artificial reefs off Alabama. Results indicate both that diet varied with season and red snapper size and that the overall diet was comprised primarily of demersal crustaceans, fish, and pelagic zooplankton. Annual prey demand of the red snapper population on Alabama artificial reefs was estimated to be over 31 million kg. Red snapper derived most of their nutrition from sand/mud- and water column-associated organisms, not from organisms associated with reefs. Based on these results, and the results from other red snapper studies off Alabama, Alabama artificial reefs may be attracting, not producing red snapper.

scholarly journals Changes in Fungal Community Structure in Freshwater Canals across a Gradient of Urbanization

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 1917
Author(s):  
Tianma Yuan ◽  
Haihan Zhang ◽  
Qiaoli Feng ◽  
Xiangyu Wu ◽  
Yixin Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Composition ◽  
Fungal Community ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Fungal Diversity ◽  
Alpha Diversity ◽  
Community Diversity ◽  
Fungal Community Composition ◽  
Sampling Locations ◽  
Impact Of Urbanization ◽  
The Impact

Fungi are an important, yet often, neglected component of the aquatic microflora, and is responsible for primary decomposition and further processing of organic matter. By comparison, the ecological roles of terrestrial fungi have been well-studied, but the diversity and function of fungi that populate aquatic environments remain poorly understood. Here, the impact of urbanization on fungal diversity and community composition in the canal system of Suzhou was assessed by sequencing the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) region of the rRNA operon. It was amplified from environmental DNA that has been extracted from water samples and pre-deployed decomposing leaves collected from nine sampling locations (high, medium and low urbanization) over two seasons. The fungal diversity and community composition were determined by bioinformatic analysis of the large DNA sequence datasets generated to identify operational taxonomic units (OTUs) for phylogenetic assignment; over 1 million amplicons were sequenced from 36 samples. The alpha-diversity estimates showed high differences in fungal diversity between water and leaf samples, and winter versus summer. Higher numbers of fungal OTUs were identified in both water and leaf samples collected in the summer, and fungal diversity was also generally higher in water than on colonized leaves in both seasons. The fungal community on leaves was usually dominated by Ascomycetes, especially in winter, while water samples contained more diversity at phylum level with Chytridiomycetes often prominent, particularly in summer. At a genus level, a very high relative abundance of Alternaria on leaves was observed in winter at all locations, in contrast to very low abundance of this genus across all water samples. Fungal community composition also varied between sampling locations (i.e., urbanization); in cluster analysis, samples from high urbanization locations formed a distinct cluster, with medium and low urbanization samples clustering together or in some instances, separately. Redundancy analysis shed further light on the relationships between variation in fungal community composition and water physico-chemical properties. Fungal community diversity variation and correlation with different parameters is discussed in detail, but overall, the influence of season outweighed that of urbanization. This study is significant in cataloguing the impact of urbanization on fungal diversity to inform future restoration of urban canal systems on the importance of protecting the natural aquatic fungal flora.

Age, Growth, and Reproduction of Vermilion Snapper in the North-Central Gulf of Mexico

2018 ◽  
Vol 147 (5) ◽  
pp. 996-1010
Author(s):  
Trevor Moncrief ◽  
Nancy J. Brown-Peterson ◽  
Mark S. Peterson
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
North Central ◽  
The North ◽  
Vermilion Snapper ◽  
Growth And Reproduction

scholarly journals Diversity and Structure of Soil Fungal Communities across Experimental Everglades Tree Islands

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 324
Author(s):  
Brianna K. Almeida ◽  
Michael S. Ross ◽  
Susana L. Stoffella ◽  
Jay P. Sah ◽  
Eric Cline ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Level ◽  
Fungal Community ◽  
Plant Pathogen ◽  
Fungal Diversity ◽  
Fungal Communities ◽  
Tree Islands ◽  
Fungal Community Composition ◽  
Everglades Tree Islands ◽  
And Function ◽  
Early Restoration

Fungi play prominent roles in ecosystem services (e.g., nutrient cycling, decomposition) and thus have increasingly garnered attention in restoration ecology. However, it is unclear how most management decisions impact fungal communities, making it difficult to protect fungal diversity and utilize fungi to improve restoration success. To understand the effects of restoration decisions and environmental variation on fungal communities, we sequenced soil fungal microbiomes from 96 sites across eight experimental Everglades tree islands approximately 15 years after restoration occurred. We found that early restoration decisions can have enduring consequences for fungal communities. Factors experimentally manipulated in 2003–2007 (e.g., type of island core) had significant legacy effects on fungal community composition. Our results also emphasized the role of water regime in fungal diversity, composition, and function. As the relative water level decreased, so did fungal diversity, with an approximately 25% decline in the driest sites. Further, as the water level decreased, the abundance of the plant pathogen–saprotroph guild increased, suggesting that low water may increase plant-pathogen interactions. Our results indicate that early restoration decisions can have long-term consequences for fungal community composition and function and suggest that a drier future in the Everglades could reduce fungal diversity on imperiled tree islands.

scholarly journals Responses of Rhizosphere Fungal Communities to the Sewage Sludge Application into the Soil

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. 505 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarína Ondreičková ◽  
Marcela Gubišová ◽  
Michaela Piliarová ◽  
Miroslav Horník ◽  
Pavel Matušinský ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Fungal Community ◽  
18S Rdna ◽  
Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽  
Fungal Diversity ◽  
Municipal Wastewater ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Community Diversity ◽  
Rdna Sequencing ◽  
Sludge Application

Due to the increasing sewage sludge production in the world and problems with its disposal, an application of sludge to the soil appears to be a suitable solution considering its fertilizer properties and ability to improve the soil physical conditions. On the other hand, the sludge may also contain undesirable and toxic substances. Since soil microorganisms are sensitive to environmental changes, they can be used as indicators of soil quality. In this study, we used sewage sludge (SS) from two municipal wastewater treatment plants (SS-A and SS-B) in the dose of 5 t/ha and 15 t/ha in order to determine possible changes in the fungal community diversity, especially arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), in the rhizosphere of Arundo donax L. Rhizosphere samples were collected in summer and autumn for two consecutive years and the fungal diversity was examined using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism and 18S rDNA sequencing. Fungal alpha diversity was more affected by SS-A than SS-B probably due to the higher heavy metal content. However, based on principal component analysis and ANOSIM, significant changes in overall fungal diversity were not observed. Simultaneously, 18S rDNA sequencing showed that more various fungal taxa were detected in the sample with sewage sludge than in the control. Glomus sp. as a representative of AMF was the most represented. Moreover, Funneliformis in both samples and Rhizophagus in control with Septoglomus in the sludge sample were other representatives of AMF. Our results indicate that the short-term sewage sludge application into the soil does not cause a shift in the fungal community composition.

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