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Exploring the microbiome of the Neptune's Cup sponge, Cliona patera, in Singapore
Author
Ho, Xin Yi
Supervisor
Tan, Lik Tong
Abstract
The Neptune’s Cup sponge, Cliona patera, once believed to be extinct was rediscovered in Singapore waters in 2011. In this study, we characterised the prokaryotic community of C. patera for the first time from tissue samples of six individuals, collected within Sisters’ Islands Marine Park. Tissue samples were collected from the inner cup, outer cup and stem of C. patera. The ambient seawater was also sampled to determine its contribution to the sponge microbiome and results showed the microbiome of C. patera to be significantly dissimilar from its surroundings. C. patera was reported to have 5,222 distinct OTUs, spanning 26 bacterial phyla and 74 bacterial classes. The bacterial phyla Proteobacteria, particularly the classes Gammaproteobacteria and Alphaprotebacteria dominated the sponge microbiome. Other phyla consist of Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, the Archaea domain, Planctomycetes, Verrucomicrobia, Nitrospirae and Marinamicrobia. Interestingly, the prokaryotic community structure also differed significantly between different parts of the sponge. The cup and stem of C. patera was found to host different microbial communities suggesting that C. patera provides distinct microenvironments within itself. Additionally, results revealed the cup of C. patera to have lower diversity and evenness as compared to the stem. Further research is required to determine the stability of the microbiome of C. patera temporally.
Date Issued
2021
Call Number
QL373.D4 Ho
Date Submitted
2021