Meeting Abstract
Studies have demonstrated that near-future ocean warming is likely to negatively impact aspects of larval development, immune function, and behavior in sea urchins. Moreover, a recent study reported the gut microbiome of a sea urchin was altered in response to predicted near-future warming. Sea stars, similar to sea urchins, play pivotal roles in marine communities as keystone species. Luidia clathrata is an extremely abundant, soft-bottom, predatory sea star that occurs in shallow inlets and bays in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM). These regions are projected to experience disproportionately higher temperatures due to climate change. An understanding of the capacity of L. clathrata to adapt to warming conditions is crucial since the northern GOM offers no option of northern migration as warming occurs. Luidia clathrata were collected from the northern GOM and held individually under controlled experimental conditions at ambient (28°C), mid-century (30°C), and end-of-century (32°C) temperatures. After four weeks, stomach, sediment, and seawater for each individual were collected and their microbial communities determined by sequencing the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene using the Illumina MiSeq™ platform. Microbial community composition was analyzed using bioinformatics tools. Microbial diversity differed by sample type. The composition of the microbial community of the stomach shifted between the 28°C and 30°C treatments. As different microbes contribute to the performance of a variety of key metabolic functions, understanding how ocean warming might alter the microbiome will be critical to our understanding of how sea stars will adapt to future ocean conditions.
