Oceans of Microbiomes (2020-2021)

Microbes are core components of the ecology, biochemistry and geochemistry of all ecosystems. Microbiomes can include thousands of tiny organisms, each with the potential to interact with their environment and other organisms, often in unique ways, ultimately influencing the functioning of the system.

This project team developed a marine microbial model system in order to examine the interplay between the key temporal and spatial patterns that shape microbial communities and processes in complex environments. Team members examined time-series data of microbial communities from weekly sampling over three years at Piver’s Island Coastal Observatory (PICO) from 2011-2013. Focusing on marine cyanobacteria, an excellent model marine microbe that is a key primary producer, and SAR11, which constitutes up to one half of all microbial cells in the surface ocean, the team explored three key questions:

• How does SAR11 and cyanobacteria community composition change over time? Do they differ in a significant way or behave in similar patterns?
• How and to what extent do environmental variables affect these two microbiome communities?
• Are closely-related strains more likely to exhibit similar ecologies?

Team members analyzed data on environmental variables and community structure. Using MATLAB and R, the team built data visualizations that showcased the relative abundance of 97% identity Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) and more fine scale oligotypes for both cyanobacteria and SAR11. 

Team members also worked to culture Synechococcus, the most abundant species of cyanobacteria, from seawater, with a number of different isolation techniques tested. The medium-grown Synechococcus will be analyzed to try to link genome content and environmental factors.

This research helped the team compare and contrast the diversity and ecology of two dominant microbes of the coastal marine environment adjacent to the Duke Marine Lab to unravel potential mechanisms of microbiome structuring and change observed in the marine environment.

Timing

Fall 2020 – Spring 2021

Team Outputs

Documenting Microbial Changes in Ocean Ecosystems (2021 Fortin Foundation Bass Connections Virtual Showcase)

Diversity and Variability of Two Core Taxa of the Coastal Marine Microbioms (poster by Maya Suzuki, Medy Mu, Taylor Smith, Cynthia Wang, Sara Blinebry, Jessica Gronniger and Junyao Gu)

See related team, Oceans of Microbiomes (2021-2022).

 

Image: 20140727--IMG_4406.jpg, by Ryan McMinds, licensed under CC BY 2.0