Benthic biodiversity: project 3.1

Transcription

1 Benthic biodiversity: project 3.1 Faculty of Edit this on the Title Master Presented by Alan Williams CSIRO

2 Benthic project team 3.1 & 3.2 Alan Jason Franzis Mark May Shirley Andrew Leo Amelia Sharon Jodie Nick Luciano Robin Hugh Lev Anthony Katherine Minami Andrea

3 Benthic biodiversity? Epifauna : living freely on, or attached to, seafloor: e.g. fishes, sponges, corals, crustaceans, echinoderms & molluscs A little to 1000 m Infauna : exist within or closely associated with marine sediments: e.g. amphipods, polychaetes & molluscs A little at one location Microfauna : a great variety of small animals: e.g. ciliates & roundworms Previously unstudied Microbes : e.g. hydrocarbon degrading bacteria Previously unstudied Knowledge in deep GAB?

4 Project Diversity and monitoring Three objectives Objective 1: Epifauna and infauna patterns Quantify spatial patterns in the physical environment, and composition and abundance of epifauna and infauna in BP leases and adjacent deep GAB Objective 2: Ecological monitoring Determine requirements (including identifying indicators and metrics), and identify suitable control regions, for future ecological monitoring in the deep GAB Objective 3: Data integration and ecosystem models Contribute data and results to models of ecosystem-level structure and function for the GAB

5 Surveys & data sharing Survey 1: 30 sites at 6 depth horizons on 5 eastwest transects Deepest surveys of Australia s deep-sea ( m) Survey 2: 21 sites at canyon, seep and seamount locations Shared data - more than the sum of the parts e.g. species richness

6 Outcome 1: Transformed the GAB from the most poorly known deep-sea region in the Australian marine jurisdiction to the best known Fishes: rigorous taxonomy, composition and distribution, biogeography, ecological analyses [108 species 25% unknown from GAB] Epifauna: rigorous taxonomy for all major taxa, composition and distribution, biogeography, ecological analyses [>800 species > 25% new] Infauna: upgraded taxonomy [>258 species most rare, many new = more limited ecological analysis]

7 Outcome 2: Substantially increased understanding of the GAB fauna in the context of the deep-sea off southern Australia. 1. Context provided by analysis of historical and biogeographic data.. that identify the GAB as a single large bioregion 2. Predictive mapping distribution of assemblages, habitat suitability maps

8 Outcome 3: Enabled knowledge of benthic biodiversity structure (composition, distribution & abundance) to be including in ecosystem models of the GAB For example strong depth-related patterns (b) ( ) % Av. density Fish composition Depth stratum (m) Fish biomass (g.m- 2 ) OTHER Epigonidae Tetraodontidae Pleuronectidae Paraulopidae Macroramphosidae Hoplichthyidae Callionymidae Euclichthyidae Acropomatidae Macrouridae Epifauna composition (b) % Av. density Depth stratum (m) Epifauna density (nos.m- 2 ) OTHER Bivalvia Gastropoda Holothuroidea Decapoda Bryozoa Calcarea Scleractinia Tunicata Demospongiae Ophiuroidea Av. biomass (g.m -2 ) Depth stratum (m)

9 Outcome 4: Improved ability to understand and monitor potential future impacts on deep benthic biological communities, including within the GAB Commonwealth Marine Reserve. Survey at baseline (undisturbed) sites in lease blocks and reserves provides scope for a referencesite monitoring approach Robust species-level taxonomy will enable a variety of metrics (e.g. richness, diversity, distinctness) to be derived for sponges, corals, molluscs, echinoderms, crustaceans and fishes Species-level data also permit structural and functional changes (including recovery) to be assessed in response to disturbance

10 Summary of key findings Biodiversity - all groups (fishes, epifauna, infauna) characterised by high diversity and high rarity Faunal patterns many aspects understood strong depth-related structure in assemblages composition, diversity, abundance, uniqueness (endemcity) consistent with the bioregionalisation of the deepsea (>200 m depth) GAB as a single Province GAB relatively distinct from adjacent bioregions First benthic biodiversity data for the large deepsea areas of the GAB Commonwealth Marine Reserve

11 Implications for marine management purposes Conservation understanding and assessment Enables inventory of species present in deep areas of GAB Commonwealth Marine Reserve Robust and measureable indices of biodiversity status Understand biodiversity represented in GAB CMR in context in the reserve network (performance) Species-specific attributes (endemics, threatened) Fishery environmental assessment Impact and risk assessment Future ecological monitoring Baseline from species, communities and habitats in undisturbed sites, disturbed and contrasting sites, e.g. CMRs vs active lease blocks, and at a range of relevant depths Relevant spatial scales Literature reviews completed Basis to identify biological indicators and metrics Species: keystone (ecosystem engineers), sentinel, vulnerable Community metrics: diversity, richness, distinctness, structure

12 Benthic biodiversity: project 3.2 Presented by Jason Tanner Faculty of Edit this on the Title Master

13 Project 3.2 Molecular approaches Three sub-projects 1: Hydrocarbon degraders Assess the presence of hydrocarbon degrading microbes in the GAB and infer the potential of the assemblage to cope with any future increase in hydrocarbon levels 2: Barcoding Undertake biodiversity identification using molecular barcoding of selected taxonomic groups of specific interest for future monitoring 3: Ecogenomics & quantification Develop an effective and rapid molecular monitoring tool to detect any changes in the benthic faunal assemblages of the GAB

14 Hydrocarbon Degraders Following the 2010 DWH in the Gulf of Mexico, some components oil were rapidly degraded, and as much as ½ was oxidised by bacteria. The rapid response of microbial populations may have been a result of the nutrients and seeps in the GOM. Could a similar response be expected in the Great Australian Bight? Lower nutrient levels Fewer natural oil seeps

15 Approach 1.Examine Community Composition 2. Determine presence of genes associated with hydrocarbon degradation:

16 HDM are present in the GAB Taxa with known hydrocarbon degrading function Taxa found in the GAB Number of species found in the GAB Abundance Oceanospirillales (order) Oceanospirillaceae (family) o Marinomonas (genus) o 1 o 266 Oleiphilaceae (family) Halomonadaceae (family) Alcanivoracaceae (family) o Alicanivorax (genus) o 2 o 473 Methylococcales (order) HDM are rare, but typically a few in every sample

17 Community structure changed with depth PCO2 (5.6% of total variation) 20 0 Benthic 16S All samples shown Transform: Fourth root Resemblance: S17 Bray-Curtis similarity Depth (category) PCO1 (39.8% of total variation)

18 There are bacteria with the capacity to degrade hydrocarbons in the GAB: - These bacteria were rare but present in every station we analysed - These bacteria can be identified through both functional analysis and taxonomic relationships - This is not a surprise they have been found in every environment Sequencing reveals a lot of diversity in the structure of genes involved in hydrocarbon degradation: - The microbial ecology of environments such as the GAB may be unique - Responses of the organisms in the environment may not be predictable based on studies conducted elsewhere (different microbes, different environmental conditions) - Microbes in the GAB would not be effectively monitored using tools developed elsewhere)

19 Genetic barcoding Short gene sequence unique to each species Allows rapid taxonomic identification Avoids need for time consuming morphological identification Existing databases have poor coverage of deepwater fauna, especially those in the GAB

20 Limited representation of publicly available sequences from Australian (marine) key phyla.

21 Ecogenomics & quantification Objective: Develop an effective and rapid molecular monitoring tool to detect any functional changes in the microfaunal assemblages of the GAB i. 18S rrna analysis ii. COI gene analysis Broad coverage of microbial eukarya (fungi/protists) and meio-/macrofaunal assemblages

22 ii. COI gene analysis: GAB sample findings A total of 1,032 unique COI OTUs (>0.01% abundance across samples). Approximately 80% could be assigned to some level of taxonomy. Largest contribution: Arthropods (34%), Annelids (12%) and Nematodes (7%).

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24 Key findings Hydrocarbon degrading microbes (HDM) are present and widely distributed in the GAB. Many HDM taxa in the GAB appear to be unique. Strong depth patterns in HDMs, as well as in the broader assemblage surveyed using ecogenomics. Confirmation of the potential for molecular monitoring to provide a rapid and cost-effective approach for monitoring benthic biodiversity in the GAB.

25 Implications HDM in the GAB may respond differently to an oil spill than HDM in other regions. We now have a molecular tool to rapidly and cheaply monitor the response of the hydrocarbon degrading community in the event of an accidental release of oil. Barcoding database of common taxa present in the GAB, which will allow molecular identification of these species in the future. Also have a tool for molecular monitoring to provide a rapid and cost-effective approach for assessing benthic biodiversity in the GAB.

26 Key findings: Benthic Theme Deepest systematic surveys of Australia s deep-sea Biodiversity knowledge for all groups (fishes, epifauna, infauna, micro ) and faunal patterns in relation to environmental factors, and the broader Australian region Biodiversity data for the deep-sea GAB Commonwealth Marine Reserve Biodiversity data for designing and evaluating future ecological monitoring in deep-sea First data on hydrocarbon degrading microbes in Australia s temperate deep-sea Molecular tools for cost-effective monitoring of status and changes of benthic biodiversity in micro- and microbial communities including hydrocarbon degraders

27 Implications of Benthic Theme research Helped to transform the GAB region from the most poorly known deepsea region in the Australian marine jurisdiction to the best known, by: creating many biological datasets: fishes, epifauna, infauna, microfauna confirming the presence and identify of microbial hydrocarbon degraders Improved the ability of stakeholders to design and implement a future ecological monitoring program using: indicators, metrics and locations based on benthic species and habitats a molecular tool to rapidly and cheaply monitor responses of the hydrocarbon degrading community to changes in hydrocarbon levels molecular monitoring as a rapid and cost-effective approach for monitoring benthic biodiversity

28 Acknowledgements The Great Australian Bight Research Program (GABRP) is a collaboration between BP, CSIRO, the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), the University of Adelaide, and Flinders University. The Program aims to provide a whole-of-system understanding of the environmental, economic and social values of the region; providing an information source for all to use. The Great Australian Bight Deepwater Marine Program (GABDMP) is a CSIRO led research program sponsored by Chevron Australia, with data generated to be made publically available.