[Coral-List] HMA sponges transform DOM, absorb organohalides

[Pawlik, Joseph]

Colleagues,

On behalf of PhD student Lauren Olinger and collaborators, we are pleased to announce a new paper that combines the "gold standard" of field-based In/Ex sampling of sponge-processed seawater with cutting-edge metabolomics techniques.
The two-point summary is:
(1) Three species of high microbial abundance (HMA) sponges transformed DOM as it passed through the sponge body, but three low microbial abundance (LMA) sponge species did not. More evidence that microbial symbionts are required for DOM consumption by sponges. This is not a novel finding, but it is contested by studies that use incubation methods subject to artifact.
(2) HMA sponges take up organohalides. This is a novel finding with important implications for halide cycling, and it may also mean that sponges take-up toxic metabolites produced by cyanobacteria or anthropogenic pollutants.

The paper is open access here:

 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.665789/full<https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.frontiersin.org%2Farticles%2F10.3389%2Ffmars.2021.665789%2Ffull&data=04%7C01%7Cpawlikj%40uncw.edu%7C6123b6117ed94be929db08d91b780661%7C2213678197534c75af2868a078871ebf%7C1%7C0%7C637571024576566762%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=Z3DD%2FPbcKxynIwhFSOW9PXBlaoqx%2FuTr6grOY5Y8OT0%3D&reserved=0>

Olinger, L.K., Strangman, W.K., McMurray, S.E., Pawlik, J.R.  2021. Sponges with microbial symbionts transform dissolved organic matter and take up organohalides. Frontiers in Marine Science, DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2021.665789<https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.665789>

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Joseph R. Pawlik
Frank Hawkins Kenan Distinguished Professor of Marine Biology
Dept. of Biology and Marine Biology
UNCW Center for Marine Science
5600 Marvin K Moss Lane
Wilmington, NC  28409
Office:(910)962-2377; Cell:(910)232-3579
Website: http://people.uncw.edu/pawlikj/index.html
PDFs: http://people.uncw.edu/pawlikj/pubs2.html
Video Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/skndiver011
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