Dive deeper on the results and learn more about our work on Diadematidae mass mortality and how environmental microbiomes compare when the disease is replicated in laboratory conditions. 🌊🦠
Big thank you to all the incredible collaborators who made this work possible (8/8)

💡 Understanding microbiome changes due to pathogens like DSc is vital to developing strategies that protect marine ecosystems. Our research sheds light on the mechanisms behind host-pathogen interactions! (7/8)

🌍 Well, yes, we found that Echinothrix diadema from Réunion Island share high representation of F. hongkongensis! Suggesting that these findings have broader ecological implications. And this bacterium could be environmentally associated with the pathogenic ciliate. (6/8)

🔍 Our analysis revealed that F. hongkongensis might serve as a bacterial biomarker for detecting DSc in environmental samples from the Caribbean. But would it be consistent with the disease in disparate geographical locations? (5/8)

Major finding! We show that DSc-affected urchins exhibit significantly lower taxonomic richness compared to healthy counterparts. Moreover, DSc-affected urchins showed a greater representation of Fangia hongkongensis and Psychrobium spp. 🏖️ 🌊 🦠 (4/8)

Our study aimed to understand how the urchin microbiome differs between healthy and DSc-affected specimens. We used 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to analyze tissue samples from various locations including the Caribbean and Réunion Island. (3/8)

🌍 In Spring 2022, the Caribbean faced mass mortality of Diadema antillarum due to D. antillarum scuticociliatosis (DaSc) due to a pathogenic ciliate within the Philaster clade (DScPc). This disease has now spread broadly, affecting urchins in other areas of the world🦠 (2/8)

We also examined its recruitment to corals in aquaria, its potential for reemergence into naive diadema and its presence in coral specimens and the water column prior to the DaSc outbreak. Excellent collaboration between multiple institutions and countries!

#microbiology #marinemicro #invertebrates #marinebio