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Journal Articles - UP - MSI

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Author: search.filters.author.Conaco, CeciliaSDG: search.filters.sdg.SDG 13 - Climate action

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    Microbiome diversity and host immune functions influence survivorship of sponge holobionts under future ocean conditions
    Posadas, Niño; Baquiran, Jake Ivan P; Nada, Michael Angelou L; Kelly, Michelle; Conaco, Cecilia (Oxford University Press, 2021-07-03)
    The sponge-associated microbial community contributes to the overall health and adaptive capacity of the sponge holobiont. This community is regulated by the environment and the immune system of the host. However, little is known about the effect of environmental stress on the regulation of host immune functions and how this may, in turn, affect sponge–microbe interactions. In this study, we compared the bacterial diversity and immune repertoire of the demosponge, Neopetrosia compacta, and the calcareous sponge, Leucetta chagosensis, under varying levels of acidification and warming stress based on climate scenarios predicted for 2100. Neopetrosia compacta harbors a diverse microbial community and possesses a rich repertoire of scavenger receptors while L. chagosensis has a less diverse microbiome and an expanded range of pattern recognition receptors and immune response-related genes. Upon exposure to RCP 8.5 conditions, the microbiome composition and host transcriptome of N. compacta remained stable, which correlated with high survival (75%). In contrast, tissue necrosis and low survival (25%) of L. chagosensis was accompanied by microbial community shifts and downregulation of host immune-related pathways. Meta-analysis of microbiome diversity and immunological repertoire across poriferan classes further highlights the importance of host–microbe interactions in predicting the fate of sponges under future ocean conditions.
    We thank Francis Kenith Adolfo, Robert Valenzuela, and Ronald De Guzman for field and hatchery assistance and staff of the Bolinao Marine Laboratory for logistical support. This study was funded by the Department of Science and Technology Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (QMSR-MRRD-MEC-295-1449) to CC.
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    Fish and benthic communities in an offshore and well-managed coral reef after bleaching disturbance in the Philippines
    Quimpo, Timothy Joseph R.; Requilme, Jeremiah Noelle; Gomez, Elizabeth; Sayco, Sherry Lyn; Dumalagan, Edwin E.; Siringan, Fernando P.; Conaco, Cecilia; Cabaitan, Patrick C. (Springer, 2023-08-29)
    Climate change is perhaps the greatest threat to coral reefs worldwide. However, there is spatial variation in the extent and severity of this disturbance, with offshore and well-managed reefs presumed to be less vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbance. Here, fish and benthic communities at the offshore and well-managed reefs of Apo Reef Natural Park, Philippines, were examined during a bleaching disturbance in 2016 and reassessed 2 (2018) and 3 years (2019) after using scuba surveys. Results showed that benthic communities varied more strongly with year attributed to changes in the benthic cover of coral. These changes were influenced by site, with some sites experiencing coral loss of 41–48%, while other sites exhibited minimal changes. Site differences in coral loss may be associated with coral cover, with sites that had high coral cover prior to bleaching incurring larger loss of coral cover. Fish communities varied more with sites and was associated with differences in the predominant benthos. The stability of fish communities with year despite coral loss may be attributed to the minimal loss of coral cover at some sites. For sites that experienced high losses of coral cover, the presence of alternative and deeper habitats may have provided shelter and food for more mobile fishes maintaining taxonomic composition within sites. This study shows that bleaching disturbance circumvents effective management, but impacts are variable even at small (≤ 3 km) spatial scales. Benthic community composition and presence of alternative habitats potentially alleviate the negative impacts of bleaching on reef fish diversity and abundance.
    We are grateful to the laboratory assistants F Castrence, R de Guzman, B Gabuay, R Valenzuela and K Adolfo for their assistance in the fieldwork. We thank the comments and criticisms of two anonymous reviewers that greatly improved the content of this manuscript.