ena-STUDY-Auckland University of Technology-11-03-2019-00:45:23:168-346
Airborne microbial community heterogeneity at the ocean-atmosphere interface of the Great Barrier Reef marine ecosystem
The aerosphere is the least understood biome on Earth despite its critical role as a microbial transport medium. The influence of surface cover on composition of airborne microbial communities above marine systems is unclear. Here we report evidence for a dynamic microbial presence at the ocean-atmosphere interface of a major marine ecosystem, the Great Barrier Reef, and identify that an oceanic or continental trajectory for aerosols correlates with observed shifts in bacterial and fungal diversity. A putative airborne source for coral symbionts and pathogens was also demonstrated thus highlighting biological connectivity between atmosphere and ocean.
The aerosphere is the least understood biome on Earth despite its critical role as a microbial transport medium. The influence of surface cover on composition of airborne microbial communities above marine systems is unclear. Here we report evidence for a dynamic microbial presence at the ocean-atmosphere interface of a major marine ecosystem, the Great Barrier Reef, and identify that an oceanic or continental trajectory for aerosols correlates with observed shifts in bacterial and fungal diversity. A putative airborne source for coral symbionts and pathogens was also demonstrated thus highlighting biological connectivity between atmosphere and ocean.