Protecting the invisible: Establishing guideline values for copper toxicity to marine microbiomes
Thomas, Marie C., Waugh, Gretel, Vanwonterghem, Inka, Webster, Nicole S., Rinke, Christian, Fisher, Rebecca, Luter, Heidi M., and Negri, Andrew P. (2023) Protecting the invisible: Establishing guideline values for copper toxicity to marine microbiomes. Science of the Total Environment, 904. 166658.
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Abstract
Understanding the rapid responses of marine microbiomes to environmental disturbances is paramount for supporting early assessments of harm to high-value ecosystems, such as coral reefs. Yet, management guidelines aimed at protecting aquatic life from environmental pollution remain exclusively defined for organisms at higher trophic levels. In this study, 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was applied in conjunction with propidium monoazide for cell-viability assessment as a sensitive tool to determine taxon- and community-level changes in a seawater microbial community under copper (Cu) exposure. Bayesian model averaging was used to establish concentration-response relationships to evaluate the effects of copper on microbial composition, diversity, and richness for the purpose of estimating microbiome Hazard Concentration (mHCx) values. Predicted mHC5 values at which a 5 % change in microbial composition, diversity, and richness occurred were 1.05, 0.72, and 0.38 μg Cu L−1, respectively. Threshold indicator taxa analysis was applied across the copper concentrations to identify taxon-specific change points for decreasing taxa. These change points were then used to generate a Prokaryotic Sensitivity Distribution (PSD), from which mHCxdec values were derived for copper, suitable for the protection of 99, 95, 90, and 80 % of the marine microbiome. The mHC5dec guideline value of 0.61 μg Cu L−1, protective of 95 % of the marine microbial community, was lower than the equivalent Australian water quality guideline value based on eukaryotic organisms at higher trophic levels. This suggests that marine microbial communities might be more vulnerable, highlighting potential insufficiencies in their protection against copper pollution. The mHCx values proposed here provide approaches to quantitatively assess the effects of contaminants on microbial communities towards the inclusion of prokaryotes in future water quality guidelines.
Item ID: | 80806 |
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Item Type: | Article (Research - C1) |
ISSN: | 1879-1026 |
Keywords: | 16S, Copper toxicity, Hazard concentration, Propidium monoazide, TITAN, Tropical marine microbiome |
Copyright Information: | © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). |
Funders: | Australian Research Council (ARC) |
Projects and Grants: | ARC DP200100790 |
Date Deposited: | 16 Feb 2024 05:15 |
FoR Codes: | 31 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 3103 Ecology > 310305 Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology) @ 50% 41 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES > 4105 Pollution and contamination > 410599 Pollution and contamination not elsewhere classified @ 50% |
SEO Codes: | 18 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT > 1805 Marine systems and management > 180505 Measurement and assessment of marine water quality and condition @ 100% |
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