EAPSI: Influence of Human-Associated Microbes on Protected Marine Species

Ashe Jimiane L, Brooklyn NY

Investigators

Abstract

In an era of global climate change and habitat alteration, it is important to study the direct impact humans have on natural populations of plants and animals. Specifically what impact do microbes from human wastewater have on threatened marine species? Activities from this project will provide an opportunity to explicitly link functionally important immune gene diversity of marine fish to human-influenced microbial variation in their local environments. Genetic and environmental samples will be collected from urban and rural coastal environments throughout New Zealand to assess population level genetic diversity of the pot-belly seahorse (Hippocampus abdominalis), microbial composition and human environmental impacts. Because this type of research is new and may have larger implications for how human wastewater is treated, a new experimental methodology must be developed. The pot-belly seahorse has an adaptive immune system perfectly suited for developing this study, and their native environment of rural and urban New Zealand coastlines are isolated from any other source of marine pollution making this EAPSI opportunity unique and invaluable to complete the proposed research. Collaboration with Professor Sharyn Goldstien from the University of Canterbury and specialists from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research will solidify a professional network of researchers and scientific studies interested in marine genetics, nearshore protected species conservation and adaptive immunity between the United States and New Zealand. Immune gene diversity within marine populations has the potential to yield profound insights relative to microbe-mediated differentiation and evolution in nearshore communities affected by human activity especially when compared to neutral genomic diversity. Protected syngnathid species like seahorses are ideal subjects to test for genetic population differences between urban and non-urban coastal environments due to their extensive nearshore habitats, variable tolerance to environmental and anthropogenic influence and mechanisms of adaptive immunity. Obtaining genetic material from model seahorse species Hippocampus abdominalis from urban and non-urban New Zealand sites will allow the opportunity to compare neutral and non-neutral immune genetic variation as well as microbial communities between coastal ecosystems exposed to differing levels of human wastewater. H. abdominalis populations will exhibit limited genetic differentiation at neutral nuclear loci throughout their New Zealand range, while functionally important immune loci will show pronounced spatial structure especially between urban sites experiencing high inputs of wastewater and rural sites with low anthropogenic inputs. Environmental samples collected at urban sites are expected to show evidence of anthropogenic activity. This award is funded in collaboration with the Royal Society of New Zealand.