Journal
JOURNAL OF THE MARINE BIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED KINGDOM
Volume 101, Issue 4, Pages 667-674Publisher
CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS
DOI: 10.1017/S002531542100062X
Keywords
Algae; cyanobacteria; host switching; intertidal zones; lichens; symbiosis
Categories
Funding
- European Research Council (ERC) MYCO-CARB project [772584]
- European Research Council (ERC) [772584] Funding Source: European Research Council (ERC)
- NERC [NE/N006151/1] Funding Source: UKRI
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Lichens are known symbiosis between fungi and photobionts, recent studies suggest that they may contain additional photobionts to enhance their ecological fitness. Marine lichens, living in unique ecosystems compared to terrestrial ones, remain understudied. The marine lichen Lichina pygmaea has been found to host a variety of cyanobacteria and algae, potentially aiding its survival in fluctuating intertidal conditions.
Lichens are a well-known symbiosis between a host mycobiont and eukaryote algal or cyanobacterial photobiont partner(s). Recent studies have indicated that terrestrial lichens can also contain other cryptic photobionts that increase the lichens' ecological fitness in response to varying environmental conditions. Marine lichens live in distinct ecosystems compared with their terrestrial counterparts because of regular submersion in seawater and are much less studied. We performed bacteria 16S and eukaryote 18S rRNA gene metabarcoding surveys to assess total photobiont diversity within the marine lichen Lichina pygmaea (Lightf.) C. Agardh, which is widespread throughout the intertidal zone of Atlantic coastlines. We found that in addition to the established cyanobacterial photobiont Rivularia, L. pygmaea is also apparently host to a range of other marine and freshwater cyanobacteria, as well as marine eukaryote algae in the family Ulvophyceae (Chlorophyta). We propose that symbiosis with multiple freshwater and marine cyanobacteria and eukaryote photobionts may contribute to the ability of L. pygmaea to survive the harsh fluctuating environmental conditions of the intertidal zone.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available