New research from University of British Columbia botanists has found that parasites thought to only infect tropical coral reefs have been discovered in a variety of creatures in cold marine ecosystems along the Northeast Pacific. The study, published in Current Biology, reveals that corallicolids, previously associated only with coral reefs, infect organisms related to coral such as sea anemones and other cold-water marine invertebrates. This discovery greatly expands the known range of corallicolids and highlights significant gaps in our understanding of microbial biodiversity.
The researchers, led by Dr. Patrick Keeling, found corallicolids in cold-water anthozoans from non-coral reef environments in coastal British Columbia, Canada. By collecting 325 samples from nine species of anthozoans at five locations, the team was able to screen for corallicolid infection using laboratory techniques. This study challenges the previous understanding of where corallicolids exist and suggests that current methods of sampling microbial diversity may be missing important parasites that infect a variety of organisms beyond coral reefs.
While corallicolids have been linked to coral mortality during bleaching events, the exact impact of these parasites on corals and other organisms is still unclear. UBC researcher Morelia Trznadel, the first author of the study, explains that corallicolids may have different effects depending on the host they infect. The parasites found in this study were observed to ‘jump’ between hosts frequently, raising questions about their potential harm to different organisms. Further research is needed to understand the full implications of corallicolid infections on marine ecosystems.
Due to COVID travel restrictions, the researchers were forced to focus their sampling efforts closer to home, which led to the discovery of corallicolids in cold-water environments in British Columbia. The team plans to expand their sampling efforts to include potential hosts further north along the Pacific coast, including newly discovered deep-water reefs. This research was supported by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the Hakai Institute, highlighting the importance of understanding microbial biodiversity in marine ecosystems.
The discovery of corallicolids in cold-water marine environments challenges previous assumptions about the range of these parasites and underscores the need for more comprehensive sampling strategies to better understand microbial diversity. By expanding their research to include more hosts and regions, the researchers hope to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of corallicolids on marine ecosystems. This study sheds light on the complexity of parasite-host relationships and the potential consequences of parasitic infections on marine organisms.
The implications of this research extend beyond coral reefs and highlight the interconnectedness of marine ecosystems. By recognizing the presence of corallicolids in a variety of organisms in cold marine environments, researchers can better understand the role these parasites play in ecosystem dynamics. Moving forward, the team plans to continue investigating the diversity and effects of corallicolids on marine organisms to inform conservation and management efforts in the face of changing environmental conditions.