Cultivating epizoic diatoms provides insights into the evolution and ecology of both epibionts and hosts.

ABSTRACT: Our understanding of the importance of microbiomes on large aquatic animals-such as whales, sea turtles and manatees-has advanced considerably in recent years. The latest observations indicate that epibiotic diatom communities constitute diverse, polyphyletic, and compositionally stable assemblages that include both putatively obligate epizoic and generalist species. Here, we outline a successful approach to culture putatively obligate epizoic diatoms without their hosts. That some taxa can be cultured independently from their epizoic habitat raises several questions about the nature of the interaction between these animals and their epibionts. This insight allows us to propose further applications and research avenues in this growing area of study. Analyzing the DNA sequences of these cul

SUBMITTER: Ashworth MP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9448772 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature