TY - JOUR
T1 - A matter of choice
T2 - Understanding the interactions between epiphytic foraminifera and their seagrass host Halophila stipulacea
AU - Masawa, Jenipher
AU - Winters, Gidon
AU - Kaminer, Moran
AU - Szitenberg, Amir
AU - Gruntman, Michal
AU - Ashckenazi-Polivoda, Sarit
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2024/4
Y1 - 2024/4
N2 - In sub/tropical waters, benthic foraminifera are among the most abundant epiphytic organisms inhabiting seagrass meadows. This study explored the nature of the association between foraminifera and the tropical seagrass species H. stipulacea, aiming to determine whether these interactions are facilitative or random. For this, we performed a “choice” experiment, where foraminifera could colonize H. stipulacea plants or plastic “seagrasses” plants. At the end of the experiment, a microbiome analysis was performed to identify possible variances in the microbial community and diversity of the substrates. Results show that foraminifera prefer to colonize H. stipulacea, which had a higher abundance and diversity of foraminifera than plastic seagrass plants, which increased over time and with shoot age. Moreover, H. stipulacea leaves have higher epiphytic microbial community abundance and diversity. These results demonstrate that seagrass meadows are important hosts of the foraminifera community and suggest the potential facilitative effect of H. stipulacea on epiphytic foraminifera, which might be attributed to a greater diversity of the microbial community inhabiting H. stipulacea.
AB - In sub/tropical waters, benthic foraminifera are among the most abundant epiphytic organisms inhabiting seagrass meadows. This study explored the nature of the association between foraminifera and the tropical seagrass species H. stipulacea, aiming to determine whether these interactions are facilitative or random. For this, we performed a “choice” experiment, where foraminifera could colonize H. stipulacea plants or plastic “seagrasses” plants. At the end of the experiment, a microbiome analysis was performed to identify possible variances in the microbial community and diversity of the substrates. Results show that foraminifera prefer to colonize H. stipulacea, which had a higher abundance and diversity of foraminifera than plastic seagrass plants, which increased over time and with shoot age. Moreover, H. stipulacea leaves have higher epiphytic microbial community abundance and diversity. These results demonstrate that seagrass meadows are important hosts of the foraminifera community and suggest the potential facilitative effect of H. stipulacea on epiphytic foraminifera, which might be attributed to a greater diversity of the microbial community inhabiting H. stipulacea.
KW - Ecological interactions
KW - Environmental protection
KW - Foraminifera
KW - Gulf of Aqaba (Goa)
KW - Habitat
KW - Halophila stipulacea
KW - Marine ecology
KW - Seagrass
KW - “Choice” experiment
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85187222490&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106437
DO - 10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106437
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C2 - 38479296
AN - SCOPUS:85187222490
SN - 0141-1136
VL - 196
JO - Marine Environmental Research
JF - Marine Environmental Research
M1 - 106437
ER -