Metabarcoding Insights Into the Trophic Behavior and Identity of Intertidal Benthic Foraminifera.

ABSTRACT: Foraminifera are ubiquitous marine protists with an important role in the benthic carbon cycle. However, morphological observations often fail to resolve their exact taxonomic placement and there is a lack of field studies on their particular trophic preferences. Here, we propose the application of metabarcoding as a tool for the elucidation of the in situ feeding behavior of benthic foraminifera, while also allowing the correct taxonomic assignment of the feeder, using the V9 region of the 18S (small subunit; SSU) rRNA gene. Living foraminiferal specimens were collected from two intertidal mudflats of the Wadden Sea and DNA was extracted from foraminiferal individuals and from the surrounding sediments. Molecular analysis allowed us to confirm that our foraminiferal specimens belon

SUBMITTER: Chronopoulou PM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6547873 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature