Impact of Marine Aquaculture on the Microbiome Associated with Nearby Holobionts: The Case of Patella caerulea Living in Proximity of Sea Bream Aquaculture Cages

• Published in: Microorganisms (Basel) Vol. 9; no. 2; p. 455
• Main Authors: Palladino, Giorgia, Rampelli, Simone, Scicchitano, Daniel, Musella, Margherita, Quero, Grazia Marina, Prada, Fiorella, Mancuso, Arianna, Seyfarth, Anne Mette, Turroni, Silvia, Candela, Marco, Biagi, Elena
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 22.02.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: 16S rRNA gene sequencing; Acclimation; Acclimatization; Aquaculture; Aquaculture facilities; Bream; Cages; Composition; Contamination; Digestive glands; Farms; Fish; Fish parasites; gastropoda; Heavy metals; Marine aquaculture; marine holobionts; microbiome; Microbiomes; Microorganisms; patella; Patella caerulea; Salinity; Seawater; Sedimentation & deposition; Sediments; Skin; Software; Sulfide; Mediterranean Sea; aquaculture; gastropoda; 16S rRNA gene sequencing; microbiome; patella; marine holobionts
• ISSN: 2076-2607; 2076-2607
• DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9020455

Aquaculture plays a major role in the coastal economy of the Mediterranean Sea. This raises the issue of the impact of fish cages on the surrounding environment. Here, we explore the impact of aquaculture on the composition of the digestive gland microbiome of a representative locally dwelling wild holobiont, the grazer gastropod , at an aquaculture facility located in Southern Sicily, Italy. The microbiome was assessed in individuals collected on sea bream aquaculture cages and on a rocky coastal tract located about 1.2 km from the cages, as the control site. microbiome variations were explained in the broad marine metacommunity context, assessing the water and sediment microbiome composition at both sites, and characterizing the microbiome associated with the farmed sea bream. The digestive gland microbiome at the aquaculture site was characterized by a lower diversity, the loss of microorganisms sensitive to heavy metal contamination, and by the acquisition of fish pathogens and parasites. However, we also observed possible adaptive responses of the digestive gland microbiome at the aquaculture site, including the acquisition of putative bacteria able to deal with metal and sulfide accumulation, highlighting the inherent microbiome potential to drive the host acclimation to stressful conditions.