Seasonal changes in coral thermal threshold suggest species-specific strategies for coping with temperature variations.

Coral thermotolerance research has focused on the ability of coral holobionts to maximize withstanding thermal stress exposure. Yet, it's unclear whether thermal thresholds adjust across seasons or remain constant for a given species and location. Here, we assessed the thermal tolerance thresholds over time spanning the annual temperature variation in the Red Sea for Pocillopora verrucosa and Acropora spp.

Not only for corals: exploring the uptake of beneficial microorganisms for corals by sponges.

Microbiome restoration using beneficial microorganisms for corals (BMCs) comprise a promising strategy to help corals cope with anthropogenic stressors. However, there is limited knowledge on the uptake of BMCs by nontarget animals, especially sponges. This study explores whether sponges can acquire BMCs upon direct application and whether inoculations affect sponge health.

Bacterial and Symbiodiniaceae communities' variation in corals with distinct traits and geographical distribution.

Coral microbiomes play crucial roles in holobiont homeostasis and adaptation. The host's ability to populate broad ecological niches and to cope with environmental changes seems to be related to the flexibility of the coral microbiome. By means of high-throughput DNA sequencing we characterized simultaneously both bacterial (16S rRNA) and Symbiodiniaceae (ITS2) communities of four reef-building coral species (Mussismilia braziliensis, Mussismilia harttii, Montastraea cavernosa, and Favia gravida) that differ in geographic distribution and niche specificity.

Simple Porifera holobiont reveals complex interactions between the host, an archaeon, a bacterium, and a phage.

The basal metazoan phylum Porifera (sponges) is increasingly used as a model to investigate ecological and evolutionary features of microbe-animal symbioses. However, sponges often host complex microbiomes, which has hampered our understanding of their interactions with their microbial symbionts. Here, we describe the discovery and characterization of the simplest sponge holobiont reported to date, consisting of the deep-sea glass sponge Aphrocallistes beatrix and two newly-described microbial symbionts: an autotrophic ammonia-oxidizing archaeon and a bacterial heterotroph.

Unlocking the genomic potential of Red Sea coral probiotics.

The application of beneficial microorganisms for corals (BMC) decreases the bleaching susceptibility and mortality rate of corals. BMC selection is typically performed via molecular and biochemical assays, followed by genomic screening for BMC traits. Herein, we present a comprehensive in silico framework to explore a set of six putative BMC strains.

Probiotics reshape the coral microbiome in situ without detectable off-target effects in the surrounding environment.

Beneficial microorganisms for corals (BMCs), or probiotics, can enhance coral resilience against stressors in laboratory trials. However, the ability of probiotics to restructure the coral microbiome in situ is yet to be determined. As a first step to elucidate this, we inoculated putative probiotic bacteria (pBMCs) on healthy colonies of Pocillopora verrucosa in situ in the Red Sea, three times per week, during 3 months.

Bacteria associated with the Symbiodiniaceae's phycosphere.

Symbiotic interactions between Symbiodiniaceae and bacteria are still poorly explored, especially those . Here, we adapted a technique that allows for the enrichment of intact and metabolically active Symbiodiniaceae cells (SC) and their associated bacteria from the tissue of the model coral , using a discontinuous gradient of solution of isotonic Percoll (SIP). The SC were concentrated in the 50% SIP fraction, as determined by microscopy.

The coral microbiome in sickness, in health and in a changing world.

Stony corals, the engines and engineers of reef ecosystems, face unprecedented threats from anthropogenic environmental change. Corals are holobionts that comprise the cnidarian animal host and a diverse community of bacteria, archaea, viruses and eukaryotic microorganisms. Recent research shows that the bacterial microbiome has a pivotal role in coral biology.

devices can culture the microbial dark matter of corals.

Most microorganisms found in environmental samples have never been cultured and can often only be explored through molecular or microscopic approaches. Here, we adapt the use of diffusion-based devices to culture "yet-to-be-cultured" microorganisms associated with coral mucus and compare this with a traditional culturing method. The culturability of microorganisms associated with mucus of the coral increased by 420% and 570% with diffusion growth chambers and microwell chip devices, respectively, compared with the traditional method tested.

Coracle-a machine learning framework to identify bacteria associated with continuous variables.

Summary: We present Coracle, an artificial intelligence (AI) framework that can identify associations between bacterial communities and continuous variables. Coracle uses an ensemble approach of prominent feature selection methods and machine learning (ML) models to identify features, i.e.

Horizon scanning the application of probiotics for wildlife.

The provision of probiotics benefits the health of a wide range of organisms, from humans to animals and plants. Probiotics can enhance stress resilience of endangered organisms, many of which are critically threatened by anthropogenic impacts. The use of so-called 'probiotics for wildlife' is a nascent application, and the field needs to reflect on standards for its development, testing, validation, risk assessment, and deployment.

Hurdles and opportunities in implementing marine biosecurity systems in data-poor regions.

Managing marine nonindigenous species (mNIS) is challenging, because marine environments are highly connected, allowing the dispersal of species across large spatial scales, including geopolitical borders. Cross-border inconsistencies in biosecurity management can promote the spread of mNIS across geopolitical borders, and incursions often go unnoticed or unreported. Collaborative surveillance programs can enhance the early detection of mNIS, when response may still be possible, and can foster capacity building around a common threat.

Genome analysis of a coral-associated bacterial consortium highlights complementary hydrocarbon degradation ability and other beneficial mechanisms for the host.

Here we report the oil degradation genetic potential of six oil-degrading bacteria (ODB), previously used as a bioremediation consortium, isolated from the hydrocoral Millepora alcicornis and seawater. The strains were identified as Halomonas sp. (LC_1), Cobetia sp.

Shedding light on the composition of extreme microbial dark matter: alternative approaches for culturing extremophiles.

More than 20,000 species of prokaryotes (less than 1% of the estimated number of Earth's microbial species) have been described thus far. However, the vast majority of microbes that inhabit extreme environments remain uncultured and this group is termed "microbial dark matter." Little is known regarding the ecological functions and biotechnological potential of these underexplored extremophiles, thus representing a vast untapped and uncharacterized biological resource.

Mycobiome structure does not affect field litter decomposition in and plantations.

Mixed tree plantations have been studied because of their potential to improve biomass production, ecosystem diversity, and soil quality. One example is a mixture of and trees, which is a promising strategy to improve microbial diversity and nutrient cycling in soil. We examined how a mixture of these species may influence the biochemical attributes and fungal community associated with leaf litter, and the effects on litter decomposition.

Mitigating the ecological collapse of coral reef ecosystems: Effective strategies to preserve coral reef ecosystems: Effective strategies to preserve coral reef ecosystems.

Global warming is decimating coral reefs. We need to implement mitigation and restoration strategies now to prevent coral reefs from disappearing altogether.

A thermophilic chemolithoautotrophic bacterial consortium suggests a mutual relationship between bacteria in extreme oligotrophic environments.

A thermophilic, chemolithoautotrophic, and aerobic microbial consortium (termed carbonitroflex) growing in a nutrient-poor medium and an atmosphere containing N, O, CO, and CO is investigated as a model to expand our understanding of extreme biological systems. Here we show that the consortium is dominated by Carbonactinospora thermoautotrophica (strain StC), followed by Sphaerobacter thermophilus, Chelatococcus spp., and Geobacillus spp.

Red Sea Atlas of Coral-Associated Bacteria Highlights Common Microbiome Members and Their Distribution across Environmental Gradients-A Systematic Review.

The Red Sea is a suitable model for studying coral reefs under climate change due to its strong environmental gradient that provides a window into future global warming scenarios. For instance, corals in the southern Red Sea thrive at temperatures predicted to occur at the end of the century in other biogeographic regions. Corals in the Red Sea thrive under contrasting thermal and environmental regimes along their latitudinal gradient.

Harnessing the microbiome to prevent global biodiversity loss.

Global biodiversity loss and mass extinction of species are two of the most critical environmental issues the world is currently facing, resulting in the disruption of various ecosystems central to environmental functions and human health. Microbiome-targeted interventions, such as probiotics and microbiome transplants, are emerging as potential options to reverse deterioration of biodiversity and increase the resilience of wildlife and ecosystems. However, the implementation of these interventions is urgently needed.

Methods and Strategies to Uncover Coral-Associated Microbial Dark Matter.

The vast majority of environmental microbes have not yet been cultured, and most of the knowledge on coral-associated microbes (CAMs) has been generated from amplicon sequencing and metagenomes. However, exploring cultured CAMs is key for a detailed and comprehensive characterization of the roles of these microbes in shaping coral health and, ultimately, for their biotechnological use as, for example, coral probiotics and other natural products. Here, the strategies and technologies that have been used to access cultured CAMs are presented, while advantages and disadvantages associated with each of these strategies are discussed.

Global qualitative and quantitative distribution of micropollutants in the deep sea.

Micropollutants (MPs) include a wide range of biological disruptors that can be toxic to wildlife and humans at very low concentrations (<1 μg/L). These mainly anthropogenic pollutants have been widely detected in different areas of the planet, including the deep sea, and have impacts on marine life. Because of this potential toxicity, the global distribution, quantity, incidence, and potential impacts of deep-sea MPs were investigated in a systematic review of the literature.