ORCID Profile
0000-0002-5575-7049
Current Organisation
University of Southampton
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Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 27-10-2022
DOI: 10.1186/S12864-022-08931-9
Abstract: Crustose coralline algae (CCA) are calcifying red macroalgae that play important ecological roles including stabilisation of reef frameworks and provision of settlement cues for a range of marine invertebrates. Previous research into the responses of CCA to ocean warming (OW) and ocean acidification (OA) have found magnitude of effect to be species-specific. Response to OW and OA could be linked to ergent underlying molecular processes across species. Here we show Sporolithon durum , a species that exhibits low sensitivity to climate stressors, had little change in metabolic performance and did not significantly alter the expression of any genes when exposed to temperature and pH perturbations. In contrast, Porolithon onkodes , a major coral reef builder, reduced photosynthetic rates and had a labile transcriptomic response with over 400 significantly differentially expressed genes, with differential regulation of genes relating to physiological processes such as carbon acquisition and metabolism. The differential gene expression detected in P. onkodes implicates possible key metabolic pathways, including the pentose phosphate pathway, in the stress response of this species. We suggest S. durum is more resistant to OW and OA than P. onkodes , which demonstrated a high sensitivity to climate stressors and may have limited ability for acclimatisation. Understanding changes in gene expression in relation to physiological processes of CCA could help us understand and predict how different species will respond to, and persist in, future ocean conditions predicted for 2100.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 06-12-2016
Abstract: Elevated concentration of carbon dioxide (elevated pCO2) that cause reduced pH is known to influence calcification in many marine taxa, but how elevated pCO2 influences cation composition of mineralized structures is less well studied. To a large extent, the degree to which elevated pCO2 impacts mineralized structures is influenced by physiological adaptation of organisms to environments where low pH is routinely experienced. Here, we test the hypotheses that elevated pCO2 will differently impact the relative concentrations of alent cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, Sr2+, and Mn2+) in four closely related species of porcelain crabs distributed across intertidal zone gradients. Cation composition of carapace and claw exoskeleton was determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry following 24-day exposures to pH CO2 levels of 8.0/418 and 7.4/1850 µatm during the intermoult period. Reduced pH/elevated pCO2 caused a 13–24% decrease of carapace [Ca2+] across all species, and species-specific responses in carapace and claw [Mg2+], [Sr2+] and [Mn2+] were observed. During a 24-day exposure, reduced pH/elevated pCO2 reduced survival probability in low-intertidal but not mid-intertidal species. Overall, the effect of reduced pH/elevated pCO2 on exoskeleton mineral composition was muted in mid-intertidal species relative to low-intertidal species, indicating that extant adaptation to the variable intertidal zone may lessen the impact of ocean acidification (OA) on maintenance of mineralized structures. Differences in responses to reduced pH/elevated pCO2 among closely related species adds complexity to predictive inferences regarding the effects of OA.
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 10-05-2022
DOI: 10.3389/FMARS.2022.757921
Abstract: As we enter the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, extensive efforts to reverse the decline of ocean health are taking place. Moreover, the need to utilize innovative and integrative approaches to aid in these efforts and address marine ecological questions are urgent. Transcriptomic technologies provide tools to further our understanding of an organism’s biology by allowing researchers to rapidly gain information on the genetic variation of populations and the regulation of cellular processes and pathways through gene presence, absence, and expression. Here, we review the application of transcriptomics in the field of marine ecology over the last decade, following a systematic literature review approach. We found 478 articles that fit our search criteria of using transcriptomic approaches to address ecological hypotheses, with 70% of these studies occurring within the last 5 years. Among the analysed articles, 51.7% involved a type of stressor, 16.6% used transcriptomics to study adaptation, and another 15.9% researched ecological interactions. Most articles investigated species from kingdom Animalia, with a high representation from both molluscs (19.5%) and chordates (13.3%), and only 22% of studies had a fieldwork component. Our review demonstrates how the use of transcriptomic techniques in the field of marine ecology is increasing and how they are being applied. Although there are still challenges researchers experience using such techniques, particularly when annotating genes in non-model species and those with no prior genomic resources, these innovative technologies are extremely valuable in investigating differential gene expression, molecular pathways, and generating genomic resources.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 22-11-2022
DOI: 10.1111/JPY.13290
Abstract: Crustose coralline algae (CCA) are one of the most important benthic substrate consolidators on coral reefs through their ability to deposit calcium carbonate on an organic matrix in their cell walls. Discrete polysaccharides have been recognized for their role in biomineralization, yet little is known about the carbohydrate composition of organic matrices across CCA taxa and whether they have the capacity to modulate their organic matrix constituents amidst environmental change, particularly the threats of ocean acidification (OA) and warming. We simulated elevated p CO 2 and temperature (IPCC RCP 8.5) and subjected four mid‐shelf Great Barrier Reef species of CCA to 2 months of experimentation. To assess the variability in surficial monosaccharide composition and biomineralization across species and treatments, we determined the monosaccharide composition of the polysaccharides present in the cell walls of surficial algal tissue and quantified calcification. Our results revealed dissimilarity among species' monosaccharide constituents, which suggests that organic matrices are composed of different polysaccharides across CCA taxa. We also observed that species differentially modulate composition in response to ocean acidification and warming. Our findings suggest that both variability in composition and ability to modulate monosaccharide abundance may play a crucial role in surficial biomineralization dynamics under the stress of OA and global warming.
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 18-04-2021
DOI: 10.1101/2021.04.18.440109
Abstract: Crustose coralline algae (CCA) are a group of calcifying red macroalgae crucial to tropical coral reefs because they form crusts that cement together the reef framework 1 . Previous research into the responses of CCA to ocean warming (OW) and ocean acidification (OA) have found reductions in calcification rates and survival 2,3 , with magnitude of effect being species-specific. Responses of CCA to OW and OA could be linked to evolutionary ergence time and/or their underlying molecular biology, the role of either being unknown in CCA. Here we show Sporolithon durum , a species from an earlier erged lineage that exhibits low sensitivity to climate stressors, had little change in metabolic performance and did not significantly alter the expression of any genes when exposed to temperature and pH perturbations. In contrast, Porolithon onkodes , a species from a recently erged lineage, reduced photosynthetic rates and had over 400 significantly differentially expressed genes in response to experimental treatments, with differential regulation of genes relating to physiological processes. We suggest earlier erged CCA may be resistant to OW and OA conditions predicted for 2100, whereas taxa from more recently erged lineages with demonstrated high sensitivity to climate stressors may have limited ability for acclimatisation.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-08-2019
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-019-48283-1
Abstract: Crustose coralline algae (CCA) are calcifying red macroalgae that reef build in their own right and perform essential ecosystem functions on coral reefs worldwide. Despite their importance, limited genetic information exists for this algal group. De novo transcriptomes were compiled for four species of common tropical CCA using RNA-seq. Sequencing generated between 66 and 87 million raw reads. Transcriptomes were assembled, redundant contigs removed, and remaining contigs were annotated using Trinotate. Protein orthology analysis was conducted between CCA species and two noncalcifying red algae species from NCBI that have published genomes and transcriptomes, and 978 orthologous protein groups were found to be uniquely shared amongst CCA. Functional enrichment analysis of these ‘CCA-specific’ proteins showed a higher than expected number of sequences from categories relating to regulation of biological and cellular processes, such as actin related proteins, heat shock proteins, and adhesion proteins. Some proteins found within these enriched categories, i.e. actin and GH18, have been implicated in calcification in other taxa, and are thus candidates for involvement in CCA calcification. This study provides the first comprehensive investigation of gene content in these species, offering insights not only into the evolution of coralline algae but also of the Rhodophyta more broadly.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 14-02-2012
DOI: 10.1007/S00216-012-5719-Y
Abstract: This work reveals a computational framework for parallel electrophoretic separation of complex biological macromolecules and model urinary metabolites. More specifically, the implementation of a particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm on a neural network platform for multiparameter optimization of multiplexed 24-capillary electrophoresis technology with UV detection is highlighted. Two experimental systems were examined: (1) separation of purified rabbit metallothioneins and (2) separation of model toluene urinary metabolites and selected organic acids. Results proved superior to the use of neural networks employing standard back propagation when examining training error, fitting response, and predictive abilities. Simulation runs were obtained as a result of metaheuristic examination of the global search space with experimental responses in good agreement with predicted values. Full separation of selected analytes was realized after employing optimal model conditions. This framework provides guidance for the application of metaheuristic computational tools to aid in future studies involving parallel chemical separation and screening. Adaptable pseudo-code is provided to enable users of varied software packages and modeling framework to implement the PSO algorithm for their desired use.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 23-06-2020
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 07-05-2021
DOI: 10.3389/FMARS.2021.660196
Abstract: Increasing atmospheric CO 2 is driving major environmental changes in the ocean, such as an increase in average ocean temperature, a decrease in average ocean pH (ocean acidification or OA), and an increase in the number and severity of extreme climatic events (e.g., anomalous temperature events and heatwaves). Uncertainty exists in the capacity for species to withstand these stressors occurring concomitantly. Here, we tested whether an acclimation history of ocean warming (OW) and OA affects the physiological responses of an abundant, reef-building species of crustose coralline algae (CCA), Porolithon cf. onkodes , to chronic and acute thermal stress. To address this, we exposed algae to varying temperature and pH levels for 6 weeks and this chronic treatment experiment was followed by an acute exposure to an anomalous temperature event (+4–6°C from acclimation temperature). Net photosynthetic rate was negatively affected across all treatments by increasing temperature during the acute temperature event, however, algae acclimated to the control temperature were able to maintain photosynthetic rates for +4°C above their acclimation temperature, whereas algae acclimated to elevated temperature were not. Average relative change in O 2 produced resulted in a 100–175% decrease, with the largest decrease found in algae acclimated to the combined treatment of elevated temperature and reduced pH. We conclude that acclimation to chronic global change stressors (i.e., OW and OA) will reduce the tolerance of P. cf. onkodes to anomalous increases in temperature, and this may have implications for reef building processes.
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
No related grants have been discovered for Tessa Page.