Microbial community structure and settlement induction capacity of marine biofilms developed under varied reef conditions.

Coral larval settlement relies on biogenic cues such as those elicited by microbial biofilm communities, a crucial element of coral recruitment. Eutrophication can modify these biofilm-associated communities, but studies on how this affects coral larval settlement are limited. In this study, we developed biofilm communities on glass slides at four sites with increasing distance from a mariculture zone. Biofilms farthest from the mariculture area were more effective at inducing the settlement of Acropora tenuis larvae. These biofilms were characterized by a greater proportion of crustose coralline algae (CCA) and gammaproteobacterial taxa compared to biofilms from sites closer to the mariculture zone, which had a greater proportion of cyanobacteria and no CCA. These findings suggest that nutrient enrichment due to mariculture activities alters the composition of biofilm-associated microbiome at nearby reef sites and indirectly causes poor coral larval settlement.

Diversity and community structure of marine microbes around the Benham Rise underwater plateau, northeastern Philippines.

Microbes are central to the structuring and functioning of marine ecosystems. Given the remarkable diversity of the ocean microbiome, uncovering marine microbial taxa remains a fundamental challenge in microbial ecology. However, there has been little effort, thus far, to describe the diversity of marine microorganisms in the region of high marine biodiversity around the Philippines. Here, we present data on the taxonomic diversity of bacteria and archaea in Benham Rise, Philippines, Western Pacific Ocean, using 16S V4 rRNA gene sequencing. The major bacterial and archaeal phyla identified in the Benham Rise are Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Marinimicrobia, Thaumarchaeota and, Euryarchaeota. The upper mesopelagic layer exhibited greater microbial diversity and richness compared to surface waters. Vertical zonation of the microbial community is evident and may be attributed to physical stratification of the water column acting as a dispersal barrier. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) recapitulated previously known associations of taxa and physicochemical parameters in the environment, such as the association of oligotrophic clades with low nutrient surface water and deep water clades that have the capacity to oxidize ammonia or nitrite at the upper mesopelagic layer. These findings provide foundational information on the diversity of marine microbes in Philippine waters. Further studies are warranted to gain a more comprehensive picture of microbial diversity within the region.

Phosphorus as a driver of nitrogen limitation and sustained eutrophic conditions in Bolinao and Anda, Philippines, a mariculture-impacted tropical coastal area.

The dynamics of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) was studied in mariculture areas around Bolinao and Anda, Philippines to examine its possible link to recurring algal blooms, hypoxia and fish kills. They occur despite regulation on number of fish farm structures in Bolinao to improve water quality after 2002, following a massive fish kill in the area. Based on spatiotemporal surveys, coastal waters remained eutrophic a decade after imposing regulation, primarily due to decomposition of uneaten and undigested feeds, and fish excretions. Relative to Redfield ratio (16), these materials are enriched in P, resulting in low N/P ratios (~6.6) of regenerated nutrients. Dissolved inorganic P (DIP) in the water reached 4µM during the dry season, likely exacerbated by increase in fish farm structures in Anda. DIP enrichment created an N-limited condition that is highly susceptible to sporadic algal blooms whenever N is supplied from freshwater during the wet season.

Nutrient inputs from submarine groundwater discharge on the Santiago reef flat, Bolinao, Northwestern Philippines.

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) on the reef flat of Bolinao, Pangasinan (Philippines) was mapped using electrical resistivity, 222Rn, and nutrient concentration measurements. Nitrate levels as high as 126 µM, or 1-2 orders of magnitude higher than ambient concentrations, were measured in some areas of the reef flat. Nutrient fluxes were higher during the wet season (May-October) than the dry season (November-April). Dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN=NO3+NO2+NH4) and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) fluxes during the wet season were 4.4 and 0.2 mmoles m(-2) d(-1), respectively. With the increase population size and anthropogenic activities in Bolinao, an enhancement of SGD-derived nitrogen levels is likely. This could lead to eutrophic conditions in the otherwise oligotrophic waters surrounding the Santiago reef flat.

Hypoxia in Manila Bay, Philippines during the northeast monsoon.

Herein we present results from one of the first extensive bay-wide oceanographic surveys of Manila Bay, wherein 31 stations were sampled during the northeast monsoon (cold and dry season). A band of hypoxic bottom water (dissolved oxygen<2.8 mg/L) spanned the midsection of the bay from east to west. Bottom nitrate concentrations (5.7-16.8 µM; avg. 11.1 µM) and total organic carbon values in sediments (1.7-3.1%; avg. 2.4%) were high in the midsection, which coincided with the band of hypoxic bottom water. Physical processes and site-specific accumulation of organic material likely lead to hypoxic conditions in Manila Bay, even during the northeast monsoon period when the water column is relatively well mixed. The results of this study complement the previously reported widespread hypoxia that occurs during the rainy season. Thus, hypoxia may be pervasive in the bay throughout the year, although it varies in intensity and spatial extent.

Eutrophic waters, algal bloom and fish kill in fish farming areas in Bolinao, Pangasinan, Philippines.

The coastal waters of Bolinao, Pangasinan, Philippines experienced environmental changes over a 10-year period (1995-2005), the most significant effect of which was the major fish kill event in 2002 that coincided with the first reported Philippine bloom of a dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum. Days before the bloom, dissolved oxygen was < 2.0 mg/l in the waters that were stratified. These conditions may be linked to the uncontrolled proliferation of fish pens and cages to more than double the allowable limit of 544 units for Bolinao waters. Mariculture activities release organic matter from unconsumed feed and fecal material that accumulate in the water and sediments. In over 10 years, water quality conditions have become eutrophic with ammonia increasing by 56%, nitrite by 35%, nitrate by 90%, and phosphate by 67%. The addition of more fish pens and cages placed additional stress to this poorly flushed, shallow area that affected water quality due to changes in the water residence time.