Experimental mining plumes and ocean warming trigger stress in a deep pelagic jellyfish

The deep pelagic ocean is increasingly subjected to human-induced environmental change. While pelagic animals provide important ecosystem functions including climate regulation, species-specific responses to stressors remain poorly documented. Here, we investigate the effects of simulated ocean warm...

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Veröffentlicht in:Nature communications 2023-11, Vol.14 (1), p.7352-14, Article 7352
Hauptverfasser: Stenvers, Vanessa I., Hauss, Helena, Bayer, Till, Havermans, Charlotte, Hentschel, Ute, Schmittmann, Lara, Sweetman, Andrew K., Hoving, Henk-Jan T.
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Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:The deep pelagic ocean is increasingly subjected to human-induced environmental change. While pelagic animals provide important ecosystem functions including climate regulation, species-specific responses to stressors remain poorly documented. Here, we investigate the effects of simulated ocean warming and sediment plumes on the cosmopolitan deep-sea jellyfish Periphylla periphylla , combining insights gained from physiology, gene expression and changes in associated microbiota. Metabolic demand was elevated following a 4 °C rise in temperature, promoting genes related to innate immunity but suppressing aerobic respiration. Suspended sediment plumes provoked the most acute and energetically costly response through the production of excess mucus (at ≥17 mg L −1 ), while inducing genes related to aerobic respiration and wound repair (at ≥167 mg L −1 ). Microbial symbionts appeared to be unaffected by both stressors, with mucus production maintaining microbial community composition. If these responses are representative for other gelatinous fauna, an abundant component of pelagic ecosystems, the effects of planned exploitation of seafloor resources may impair deep pelagic biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. The deep ocean is increasingly subjected to human-induced environmental change, but little is known about species-specific responses to stressors, including those from deep sea mining. This study shows that elevated temperatures and simulated sediment plumes cause physiological stress in a cosmopolitan deep-sea jellyfish, confirming the detrimental impact of seabed mining.
ISSN:2041-1723
2041-1723
DOI:10.1038/s41467-023-43023-6