Oscule diameter, water transport speed and excurrent jet rate for <i>Siphonodictyon</i> sp. and <i>Cliona delitrix</i>.

<p>Oscule diameter, water transport speed and excurrent jet rate for <i>Siphonodictyon</i> sp. and <i>Cliona delitrix</i>.</p

Mean DOC and bacteria uptake rates (±SD) of <i>Siphonodictyon</i> sp. and <i>Cliona delitrix</i> standardized to excurrent jet rate.

<p>Mean DOC and bacteria uptake rates (±SD) of <i>Siphonodictyon</i> sp. and <i>Cliona delitrix</i> standardized to excurrent jet rate.</p

VacuSIP system for <i>in situ</i> sampling of DOC and bacteria.

<p>VacuSIP system consisting of two separate samplers (In and Ex) attached to a stand to simultaneously take water samples of the ambient water (IN) and the water exhaled by the sponge (EX). Blue arrows indicate water pumped through the sponge.</p

DataSheet_3_Sponges on shifting reefs: holobionts show similar molecular and physiological responses to coral versus macroalgal food.pdf

IntroductionMany coral reefs witness an ongoing coral-to-algae phase shift. Corals and algae release large quantities of (in)organic nutrients daily, of which a large part is utilized by sponges. In turn, sponges are important cyclers of precious resources to other inhabitants on reefs residing in oligotrophic waters. Here, we investigated whether sponge holobionts (i.e., host and prokaryotic symbionts) adapt their physiology to food released by coral- versus macroalgae.MethodsThereto, two sponge species, Plakortis angulospiculatus and Halisarca caerulea (high and low microbial abundance, respectively), were continuously exposed for 12 days to coral and macroalgal exudates in running seawater aquaria. Transcript expression of host and prokaryotic symbionts, changes in prokaryotic community composition, and holobiont physiological responses (i.e., respiratory demand, fluxes of carbon and nitrogen) were investigated after coral- versus macroalgae dominated treatments and compared to a seawater only control treatment.ResultsIn both sponge holobionts differential transcript expression between the coral and macroalgae treatments was very low (DiscussionAfter 12 days of exposure sponges appear to opportunistically feed on different food sources without having to adjust their metabolic pathways or associated prokaryotic communities. This suggests that sponges could be well-adapted to predicted changes in food source availability due to coral-to-algal phase shifts on many coral reefs.</p

DataSheet_2_Sponges on shifting reefs: holobionts show similar molecular and physiological responses to coral versus macroalgal food.xlsx

IntroductionMany coral reefs witness an ongoing coral-to-algae phase shift. Corals and algae release large quantities of (in)organic nutrients daily, of which a large part is utilized by sponges. In turn, sponges are important cyclers of precious resources to other inhabitants on reefs residing in oligotrophic waters. Here, we investigated whether sponge holobionts (i.e., host and prokaryotic symbionts) adapt their physiology to food released by coral- versus macroalgae.MethodsThereto, two sponge species, Plakortis angulospiculatus and Halisarca caerulea (high and low microbial abundance, respectively), were continuously exposed for 12 days to coral and macroalgal exudates in running seawater aquaria. Transcript expression of host and prokaryotic symbionts, changes in prokaryotic community composition, and holobiont physiological responses (i.e., respiratory demand, fluxes of carbon and nitrogen) were investigated after coral- versus macroalgae dominated treatments and compared to a seawater only control treatment.ResultsIn both sponge holobionts differential transcript expression between the coral and macroalgae treatments was very low (DiscussionAfter 12 days of exposure sponges appear to opportunistically feed on different food sources without having to adjust their metabolic pathways or associated prokaryotic communities. This suggests that sponges could be well-adapted to predicted changes in food source availability due to coral-to-algal phase shifts on many coral reefs.</p

DataSheet_1_Sponges on shifting reefs: holobionts show similar molecular and physiological responses to coral versus macroalgal food.xlsx

IntroductionMany coral reefs witness an ongoing coral-to-algae phase shift. Corals and algae release large quantities of (in)organic nutrients daily, of which a large part is utilized by sponges. In turn, sponges are important cyclers of precious resources to other inhabitants on reefs residing in oligotrophic waters. Here, we investigated whether sponge holobionts (i.e., host and prokaryotic symbionts) adapt their physiology to food released by coral- versus macroalgae.MethodsThereto, two sponge species, Plakortis angulospiculatus and Halisarca caerulea (high and low microbial abundance, respectively), were continuously exposed for 12 days to coral and macroalgal exudates in running seawater aquaria. Transcript expression of host and prokaryotic symbionts, changes in prokaryotic community composition, and holobiont physiological responses (i.e., respiratory demand, fluxes of carbon and nitrogen) were investigated after coral- versus macroalgae dominated treatments and compared to a seawater only control treatment.ResultsIn both sponge holobionts differential transcript expression between the coral and macroalgae treatments was very low (DiscussionAfter 12 days of exposure sponges appear to opportunistically feed on different food sources without having to adjust their metabolic pathways or associated prokaryotic communities. This suggests that sponges could be well-adapted to predicted changes in food source availability due to coral-to-algal phase shifts on many coral reefs.</p