Differential processing of dissolved and particulate organic matter by deep-sea sponges and their microbial symbionts.

ABSTRACT: Deep-sea sponges create hotspots of biodiversity and biological activity in the otherwise barren deep-sea. However, it remains elusive how sponge hosts and their microbial symbionts acquire and process food in these food-limited environments. Therefore, we traced the processing (i.e. assimilation and respiration) of ¹³C- and ¹⁵N-enriched dissolved organic matter (DOM) and bacteria by three dominant North Atlantic deep-sea sponges: the high microbial abundance (HMA) demosponge Geodia barretti, the low microbial abundance (LMA) demosponge Hymedesmia paupertas, and the LMA hexactinellid Vazella pourtalesii. We also assessed the assimilation of both food sources into sponge- and bacteria-specific phospholipid-derived fatty acid (PLFA) biomarkers. All sponges were capable

SUBMITTER: Bart MC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7567089 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature