Microbial buffering in the Great Barrier Reef lagoon

Coral reefs are productive and diverse ecosystems but are declining worldwide due to human activities such as agriculture. Microorganisms and their viruses are an essential part of coral reef ecosystems and we hypothesise that their metabolic activities degrade pesticides and recycle nutrients found in land-based anthropogenic runoff, thus protecting corals against human-induced stresses. The proposed research will use large-scale DNA sequencing to characterise microbial and viral communities found along an exposure gradient in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) lagoon and identify which species and genes buffer the GBR against human impacts. This study will help generate guidelines for the preservation of this iconic Australian resource.

珊瑚礁是兼具高生产力与物种多样性的生态系统，但受农业等人类活动影响，全球范围内的珊瑚礁正持续衰退。微生物及其病毒是珊瑚礁生态系统的核心组成部分，我们提出假说：其代谢活动可降解农药、循环陆源人为径流中的营养物质，从而帮助珊瑚抵御人为诱导的环境胁迫。本研究拟采用大规模DNA测序技术，对大堡礁（Great Barrier Reef，GBR）泻湖沿暴露梯度分布的微生物与病毒群落进行表征，并明确哪些物种与基因可帮助大堡礁缓冲人类活动带来的负面影响。本研究将为保护这一标志性澳大利亚海洋资源提供科学指导方案。