TY - JOUR
T1 - Microeukaryotic and Prokaryotic Diversity of Anchialine Caves from Eastern Adriatic Sea Islands
AU - Kajan, Katarina
AU - Cukrov, Neven
AU - Cukrov, Nuša
AU - Bishop-Pierce, Renée
AU - Orlić, Sandi
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was partially supported under the project STIM–REI, Contract Number: KK.01.1.1.01.0003, a project funded by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund – the Operational Programme Competitiveness and Cohesion 2014–2020 (KK.01.1.1.01).
Funding Information:
We wish to thank speleo scuba diver Branko Jalžić and other members of the Croatian Biospeleological Society for the anchialine underwater sampling.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s).
PY - 2022/2
Y1 - 2022/2
N2 - Anchialine ecosystems in the eastern Adriatic Sea are diverse both morphologically and biologically. In this study, for the first time, we explored the microeukaryotic and prokaryotic community of anchialine caves in the Mediterranean region using high-throughput sequencing. Four anchialine caves located on nearby islands with a well-pronounced salinity gradient were sampled at the surface freshwater area, halocline area, and seawater area. Sequencing revealed a surprisingly wide diversity of the microeukaryotic and prokaryotic community with the relative abundance of major phyla differing within the salinity gradient and between the caves. Interestingly, microeukaryotic and prokaryotic communities clustered into four groups based on location, pointing out that sampled anchialine caves have different microbial community patterns and high microbial endemism. Our results indicate that even with the halocline acting as a selecting barrier, the salinity is not the only community structuring factor. Despite the short geographical distance, the isolation of anchialine caves facilitated high microbial community adaptation and endemism. Our study suggests that anchialine caves represent reservoirs of new biodiversity, maintaining unique and complex microbial diversity influenced by biotic interactions and abiotic environmental conditions.
AB - Anchialine ecosystems in the eastern Adriatic Sea are diverse both morphologically and biologically. In this study, for the first time, we explored the microeukaryotic and prokaryotic community of anchialine caves in the Mediterranean region using high-throughput sequencing. Four anchialine caves located on nearby islands with a well-pronounced salinity gradient were sampled at the surface freshwater area, halocline area, and seawater area. Sequencing revealed a surprisingly wide diversity of the microeukaryotic and prokaryotic community with the relative abundance of major phyla differing within the salinity gradient and between the caves. Interestingly, microeukaryotic and prokaryotic communities clustered into four groups based on location, pointing out that sampled anchialine caves have different microbial community patterns and high microbial endemism. Our results indicate that even with the halocline acting as a selecting barrier, the salinity is not the only community structuring factor. Despite the short geographical distance, the isolation of anchialine caves facilitated high microbial community adaptation and endemism. Our study suggests that anchialine caves represent reservoirs of new biodiversity, maintaining unique and complex microbial diversity influenced by biotic interactions and abiotic environmental conditions.
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U2 - 10.1007/s00248-021-01760-5
DO - 10.1007/s00248-021-01760-5
M3 - Article
C2 - 33903927
AN - SCOPUS:85105336308
VL - 83
SP - 257
EP - 270
JO - Microbial Ecology
JF - Microbial Ecology
SN - 0095-3628
IS - 2
ER -