Journal Article

A Three-Stage Symbiosis Forms the Foundation of Seagrass Ecosystems

van der Geest, Matthijs, de Fouw, Jimmy, Silliman, Brian R., van Gils, Jan A., van der Heide, Tjisse, van Katwijk, Marieke M., Smolders, Alfons J. P., Govers, Laura L., Olff, Han, van de Koppel, Johan, Piersma, Theunis

2012

Overview

Seagrasses evolved from terrestrial plants into marine foundation species around 100 million years ago. Their ecological success, however, remains a mystery because natural organic matter accumulation within the beds should result in toxic sediment sulfide levels. Using a meta-analysis, a field study, and a laboratory experiment, we reveal how an ancient three-stage symbiosis between seagrass, lucinid bivalves, and their sulfide-oxidizing gill bacteria reduces sulfide stress for seagrasses. We found that the bivalve-sulfide-oxidizer symbiosis reduced sulfide levels and enhanced seagrass production as measured in biomass. In turn, the bivalves and their endosymbionts profit from organic matter accumulation and radial oxygen release from the seagrass roots. These findings elucidate the long-term success of seagrasses in warm waters and offer new prospects for seagrass ecosystem conservation.

• Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science,The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subject: Abiotic stress / Accumulation / Animal and plant ecology / Animal, plant and microbial ecology / Animals / Aquatic plants / Bacteria / Bacteria - growth & development / Bacteria - metabolism / Biological and medical sciences / Biomass / Bivalvia / Bivalvia - metabolism / Bivalvia - microbiology / Bivalvia - physiology / Chemoautotrophic Growth / coasts / Conservation biology / Coral reefs / Dugong / Ecosystem / Ecosystem conservation / Ecosystems / Endangered species / fish / Fisheries / Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology / Geologic Sediments - chemistry / gills / Gills - microbiology / High density / Laboratory Experiments / Magnoliopsida - growth & development / Magnoliopsida - physiology / Marine / Marine ecology / Marine ecosystems / Meadows / Meta Analysis / Mollusks / Organic matter / Oxidation-Reduction / Oxygen / Oxygen - metabolism / Plant Roots - metabolism / Roots / Sea water ecosystems / seagrasses / Seawater - chemistry / Sediments / Shellfish / Success / Sulfides / Sulfides - analysis / Sulfides - metabolism / symbionts / Symbiosis / Synecology / Terrestrial ecosystems / toxicity / Turtles / Zosteraceae - growth & development / Zosteraceae - physiology