Interactions between Microbes and Macro-Organisms - from Symbiosis to Improving Marine Ecosystem Health

Interactions between micro- and macro-organisms are often considered symbiotic, commensal or parasitic. But did you know that certain interactions can also have impacts across ecosystem-wide scales? We work on micro- and macro-organism interactions at all levels, particularly related to ecosystem engineers - species that modify their local environment (e.g. shellfish, corals, seagrass) and provide habitat for other species, thereby influencing biodiversity as well as biogeochemical cycles.

Symbiotic microbes are important for the health of their host organism, providing nutrients and helping in the defense against pathogens, which may cause disease and even mortality. The functions of most microbes associated with marine macro-organisms are still unknown though. We aim to understand how the health of ecosystem-engineering species depend on their interactions with microbes.

Changing environmental conditions (e.g. pathogens, pollution, increasing seawater temperatures) may affect these interactions, however. This could lead to reduced host resilience or increased virulence of pathogens, potentially resulting in disease outbreaks that are increasingly affecting marine organisms worldwide. These pathogens don’t only threaten biodiversity, but may also pose risks to human health.

Interestingly, we discovered that seagrass meadows can eliminate pathogenic bacteria from seawater and consequently prevent disease in nearby coral reef ecosystems (Lamb et al. 2017). The discovery of this novel ecosystem service also raised many questions, notably: What is the mechanism behind this pathogen filtration? And can we use this service to reduce pollution and improve water quality?

This research program is built with the One Health concept in mind. We investigate how interspecies interactions influence the health of ecosystem engineers, and how different ecosystems facilitate and protect one another by improving environmental conditions. Health-boosting ecosystem services may have potential to be used as Nature-based Solutions to improve ocean health and human wellbeing.

We use a holistic approach, including ecological and ecophysiological methods but with an emphasis on molecular/microbial ecology techniques (e.g. ‘omics and bioinformatics).

Requirements

We are looking for a student with interests in molecular/microbial ecology and preferably experience with bioinformatics. The topic will depend on ongoing research programs and your specific interests. It could range from host-microbe symbiosis, to how environmental change impacts organisms and ecosystems, to understanding disease prevention ecosystem services of seagrass meadows.

Contact 

To apply, inquire about available projects or if you have any other questions, contact Jeroen van de Water (jeroen.van.de.water@nioz.nl).

Reference 

Lamb JB, van de Water JAJM, Bourne DG, Altier C, Hein MY, Fiorenza EA, Abu N, Jompa J, Harvell CD. Seagrass ecosystems reduce exposure to bacterial pathogens of humans, fishes, and invertebrates. Science. 2017 February; 355(6326): 731-733