High Dynamics of Ciliate Community Revealed via Short-Term, High-Frequency Sampling in a Subtropical Estuarine Ecosystem

Bowei Gu; Bowei Gu; Bowei Gu; Hungchia Huang; Hungchia Huang; Yizhe Zhang; Yizhe Zhang; Ran Li; Ran Li; Lei Wang; Ying Wang; Ying Wang; Jia Sun; Jia Sun; Jianning Wang; Jianning Wang; Rui Zhang; Rui Zhang; Nianzhi Jiao; Nianzhi Jiao; Dapeng Xu; Dapeng Xu

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2022.797638

Frontiers in Microbiology (Feb 2022)

High Dynamics of Ciliate Community Revealed via Short-Term, High-Frequency Sampling in a Subtropical Estuarine Ecosystem

Bowei Gu,
Bowei Gu,
Bowei Gu,
Hungchia Huang,
Hungchia Huang,
Yizhe Zhang,
Yizhe Zhang,
Ran Li,
Ran Li,
Lei Wang,
Ying Wang,
Ying Wang,
Jia Sun,
Jia Sun,
Jianning Wang,
Jianning Wang,
Rui Zhang,
Rui Zhang,
Nianzhi Jiao,
Nianzhi Jiao,
Dapeng Xu,
Dapeng Xu

Affiliations

Bowei Gu: State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Institute of Marine Microbes and Ecospheres, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
Bowei Gu: Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Carbon Sequestration, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
Bowei Gu: Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
Hungchia Huang: State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Institute of Marine Microbes and Ecospheres, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
Hungchia Huang: Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Carbon Sequestration, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
Yizhe Zhang: State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Institute of Marine Microbes and Ecospheres, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
Yizhe Zhang: Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Carbon Sequestration, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
Ran Li: State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Institute of Marine Microbes and Ecospheres, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
Ran Li: Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Carbon Sequestration, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
Lei Wang: College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
Ying Wang: State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Institute of Marine Microbes and Ecospheres, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
Ying Wang: Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Carbon Sequestration, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
Jia Sun: State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Institute of Marine Microbes and Ecospheres, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
Jia Sun: Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Carbon Sequestration, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
Jianning Wang: State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Institute of Marine Microbes and Ecospheres, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
Jianning Wang: Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Carbon Sequestration, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
Rui Zhang: State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Institute of Marine Microbes and Ecospheres, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
Rui Zhang: Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Carbon Sequestration, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
Nianzhi Jiao: State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Institute of Marine Microbes and Ecospheres, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
Nianzhi Jiao: Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Carbon Sequestration, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
Dapeng Xu: State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Institute of Marine Microbes and Ecospheres, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
Dapeng Xu: Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Carbon Sequestration, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.797638
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 13

Abstract

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Ciliates are pivotal components of the marine microbial food web, exerting profound impacts on oceanic biogeochemical cycling. However, the temporal dynamics of ciliate assemblages on a short time scale in the highly fluctuating estuarine ecosystem remain largely unexplored. We studied changes in the ciliate community during a short time frame in the high salinity waters (>26) of a subtropical estuary. Ciliate abundance, biomass, size and oral diameter structure, and community composition fluctuated considerably and irregularly over a few days or even a few hours. Spearman correlations and the generalized linear model revealed that heterotrophic prokaryotes (HPs) and viral abundances drove the dynamics of ciliate abundance and biomass. The structural equation model further identified a major path from the high-fluorescence content virus (HFV) to HPs and then ciliates. Given the substantial correlation between salinity and HPs/HFV, we proposed that the response of HPs and HFV to salinity drives the dynamics of ciliate biomass. Additionally, the Mantel test showed that phytoplankton pigments such as Lutein and Neoxanthin, phosphate, and pigmented picoeukaryotes were key covariates of the ciliate community composition. This study demonstrated the highly changing patterns of ciliate assemblages and identified potential processes regulating ciliate biomass and community composition on short timescales in a subtropical, hydrographically complex estuary.

Published in Frontiers in Microbiology

ISSN: 1664-302X (Online)
Publisher: Frontiers Media S.A.
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science: Microbiology
Website: http://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology

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