Diversity of dinoflagellate assemblages in coastal temperate and offshore tropical waters of Australia

Richard Piola,Aidyn Mouradov,Matthew Gordon,Clare Grandison,Jeff Shimeta,Tahnee Manning,Arjun Venkatesh Thilagaraj,Dmitri Mouradov

doi:10.1186/s12862-021-01745-5

Abstract

BackgroundDinoflagellates are a ubiquitous and ecologically important component of marine phytoplankton communities, with particularly notable species including those associated with harmful algal blooms (HABs) and those that bioluminesce. High-throughput sequencing offers a novel approach compared to traditional microscopy for determining species assemblages and distributions of dinoflagellates, which are poorly known especially in Australian waters.ResultsWe assessed the composition of dinoflagellate assemblages in two Australian locations: coastal temperate Port Phillip Bay and offshore tropical waters of Davies Reef (Great Barrier Reef). These locations differ in certain environmental parameters reflecting latitude as well as possible anthropogenic influences. Molecular taxonomic assessment revealed more species than traditional microscopy, and it showed statistically significant differences in dinoflagellate assemblages between locations. Bioluminescent species and known associates of HABs were present at both sites. Dinoflagellates in both areas were mainly represented by the order Gymnodiniales (66%—82% of total sequence reads). In the warm waters of Davies Reef, Gymnodiniales were equally represented by the two superclades, Gymnodiniales sensu stricto (33%) and Gyrodinium (34%). In contrast, in cooler waters of Port Phillip Bay, Gymnodiniales was mainly represented by Gyrodinium (82%). In both locations, bioluminescent dinoflagellates represented up to 0.24% of the total sequence reads, with Protoperidinium the most abundant genus. HAB-related species, mainly represented by Gyrodinium, were more abundant in Port Phillip Bay (up to 47%) than at Davies Reef (28%), potentially reflecting anthropogenic influence from highly populated and industrial areas surrounding the bay. The entire assemblage of dinoflagellates, as well as the subsets of HAB and bioluminescent species, were strongly correlated with water quality parameters (R2 = 0.56–0.92). Significant predictors differed between the subsets: HAB assemblages were explained by salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and total dissolved solids; whereas, bioluminescent assemblages were explained only by salinity and dissolved oxygen, and had greater variability.ConclusionHigh-throughput sequencing and genotyping revealed greater diversity of dinoflagellate assemblages than previously known in both subtropical and temperate Australian waters. Significant correlations of assemblage structure with environmental variables suggest the potential for explaining the distribution and composition of both HAB species and bioluminescent species.

Highlights

Dinoflagellates are a ubiquitous and ecologically important component of marine phytoplankton communities, with notable species including those associated with harmful algal blooms (HABs) and those that bioluminesce
Taxonomic identification of dinoflagellates Samples were collected from two different Australian locations: offshore tropical waters of Davies Reef, and temperate coastal waters located close to Melbourne city in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria, during June of 2018 (Austral winter) (Fig. 1)
Conventional, microscopy based taxonomic identification of the main planktonic representatives identified from samples collected at the Phillip Bay (PPB) and Davies Reef (DR) sites are shown in Additional file 1: Tables S1 and S2

Summary

Introduction

Dinoflagellates are a ubiquitous and ecologically important component of marine phytoplankton communities, with notable species including those associated with harmful algal blooms (HABs) and those that bioluminesce. High-throughput sequencing offers a novel approach compared to traditional microscopy for determining species assemblages and distributions of dinoflagellates, which are poorly known especially in Australian waters. Dinoflagellates are single-celled protists ubiquitously found in freshwater and marine environments where they occupy many ecological niches. They play significant roles from primary producers through to detritus feeders. Dinoflagellate species are known to be a major component of harmful algal blooms (HABs) with a set of physical and chemical effects causing a significant hazard to ecosystems, fisheries, and animal and human health [2]. HABs are naturally occurring global phenomena but can be triggered by anthropogenic activities, including shipping, eutrophication, and global warming

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