The phylum Chloroflexi and clade SAR202 dominate the microbiome of two
marine sponges living in an extreme environment
Abstract
The adaptation of marine sponges to their environment is often
attributed to the specific composition of their bacterial communities.
In this study, we assessed the bacterial microbiome of two dominant
sponges, Rhabdastrella globostellata and Hyrtios erectus, living in the
Bouraké lagoon (New Caledonia), where abiotic conditions reach extreme
values of temperature, pH, and oxygen during low tide. Scuba divers
collected sponge specimens and sediment and seawater samples at 2-3m
depth. The bacterial communities were studied using 16S rRNA
metabarcoding, and variations between the two sponges were compared
using Principal Component Analyses (PCA) biplots. The phylum Chloroflexi
and clade SAR202 appeared dominant in both sponge species reaching an
average relative abundance of 41.2% and 53.2% in H. erectus and 53.2%
and 78.7% in R. globostellata, respectively, while they were absent in
sediments and seawater. Principal Component Analyses (PCA) explained
70.9% (phyla) and 86.6% (clade) showing that the bacterial community’s
structure in both sponges is driven by Chloroflexi. This study is the
first report of such a noteworthy relative abundance of Chloroflexi and
SAR202 has been described in the microbiome of marine sponges. As these
bacteria are known to play key roles in sponge nutrition and fitness,
their high abundance strongly suggests an adaptive response to the
extreme environmental conditions of the Bouraké lagoon.