Unraveling the Chemical Complexities and Implications of Macroalgae-derived DOM on Reefs using Untargeted Mass Spectrometry and Chemoinformatics Strategies

In many parts of the world, corals are declining due to warming oceans, pathogens, and acidification due to climate change. Macroalgae and sponges are rapidly superseding coral populations as dominant members of reef communities. Macroalgae are key primary producers in marine ecosystems and are established producers of dissolved organic matter (DOM) while sponges are well-known consumers of DOM. As macroalgae and sponges continue to thrive, it is important to understand how metabolites of dominant macroalgae influence reef communities and how sponges may respond to the availability of algal metabolites. Untargeted high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry and chemoinformatic analyses such as MS/MS library searching, chemical class prediction, molecular networking, and data mining are emerging as new tools to investigate the chemical complexity of marine DOM. These approaches were utilized to evaluate the chemical profile of macroalgae-derived DOC using predominant species collected from waters off the coast of southeastern North Carolina. As a follow-on study, field work was completed using Padina sp. collected near Key West, FL, USA. For these experiments, algal exudate was sampled and then fed to the sponges, Xestospongia muta and Agelas wiedenmayeri in a series of laboratory experiments. Collectively, these experiments unveiled the unique chemical fingerprint of macroalgae-derived DOM and its influence on reef sponges, shedding light on the effects of a changing climate on these communities.

Presentation Preference: Oral

Primary Presenter: Lydia Davis, University of North Carolina Wilmington (davisla@uncw.edu)

Authors:

Lydia Davis, University of North Carolina Wilmington  (davisla@uncw.edu)

Courtney Clevenger, University of North Carolina Wilmington  (ctk6717@uncw.edu)

Zane Ritter, University of North Carolina Wilmington  (zgr7619@uncw.edu)

Kyler Sloan, University of North Carolina Wilmington  (kms1532@uncw.edu)

Cody Wilson, University of North Carolina Wilmington  (ctw7213@uncw.edu)

Megan Laufer, University of North Carolina Wilmington  (mcl8732@uncw.edu)

Christian Richter, University of North Carolina Wilmington  (richterc@uncw.edu)

Joseph Pawlik, University of North Carolina Wilmington  (pawlikj@uncw.edu)

Winifred Johnson, University of North Carolina Wilmington  (johnsonwm@uncw.edu)

Ralph Mead, University of North Carolina Wilmington  (meadr@uncw.edu)

Wendy Strangman, University of North Carolina Wilmington  (strangmanw@uncw.edu)