- Title
- Photoautotrophic euendoliths and their complex ecological effects in marine bioengineered ecosystems
- Creator
- Dievart, Alexia M, McQuaid, Christopher D, Zardi, Gerardo I, Nicastro, Katy R, Froneman, P William
- Subject
- To be catalogued
- Date
- 2022
- Type
- text
- Type
- article
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10962/479286
- Identifier
- vital:78283
- Identifier
- https://doi.org/10.3390/d14090737
- Description
- Photoautotrophic euendolithic microorganisms are ubiquitous where there are calcium carbonate substrates to bore into and sufficient light to sustain photosynthesis. The most diverse and abundant modern euendolithic communities can be found in the marine environment. Euendoliths, as microorganisms infesting inanimate substrates, were first thought to be ecologically irrelevant. Over the past three decades, numerous studies have subsequently shown that euendoliths can colonize living marine calcifying organisms, such as coral skeletons and bivalve shells, causing both sub-lethal and lethal damage. Moreover, under suitable environmental conditions, their presence can have surprising benefits for the host. Thus, infestation by photoautotrophic euendoliths has significant consequences for calcifying organisms that are of particular importance in the case of ecosystems underpinned by calcifying ecosystem engineers. In this review, we address the nature and diversity of marine euendoliths, as revealed recently through genetic techniques, their bioerosive mechanisms, how environmental conditions influence their incidence in marine ecosystems and their potential as bioindicators, how they affect live calcifiers, and the potential future of euendolithic infestation in the context of global climate change and ocean acidification.
- Format
- 30 pages, pdf
- Language
- English
- Relation
- Diversity, Dievart, A.M., McQuaid, C.D., Zardi, G.I., Nicastro, K.R. and Froneman, P.W., 2022. Photoautotrophic euendoliths and their complex ecological effects in marine bioengineered ecosystems. Diversity, 14(9), p.737, Diversity volume 14 number 9 1 30 2022 1424-2818
- Rights
- Publisher
- Rights
- Use of this resource is governed by the terms and conditions of the MDPI Open Access Statement (https://www.int-res.com/journals/terms-of-use/)
- Hits: 5
- Visitors: 7
- Downloads: 1
Collections
Zardi, Gerardo I
McQuaid, Christopher D (Distinguished Professor)
Froneman, Pierre William (Prof)
RU DST/NRF SARChI for Marine Ecosystems and Resources
RU Department of Zoology and Entomology
SDG 14. Life Below Water
| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | SOURCE1 | Photoautotrophic Euendoliths and Their Complex Ecological Effects in Marine Bioengineered Ecosystems.pdf | 1 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |