1. Down the drain: exploring wastewater’s role in coastal microbiome transformationsNeža Orel, Eduard Fadeev, Mauro Celussi, Valentina Turk, Katja Klun, Leila Afjehi-Sadat, Gerhard J. Herndl, Tinkara Tinta, 2025, izvirni znanstveni članek Povzetek: Background Many coastal ecosystems worldwide are impacted by wastewater discharges, which introduce nutrients, pollutants, and allochthonous microbes that can alter microbiome composition and function. Although the severity and distribution of these impacts vary across regions, their potential consequences for key ecological processes remain a concern. The resilience and functional adaptability of native coastal microbiomes are still poorly understood. To study the immediate ecological impact of wastewater discharge on a coastal seawater microbiome, we conducted short-term microcosm experiments, exposing a coastal microbiome to two types of treated wastewater: (i) unfiltered wastewater containing nutrients, pollutants, and allochthonous microbes; and (ii) filtered wastewater containing only nutrients and pollutants. Results By integrating multi-omics and metabolic assays, we show that wastewater-derived organic matter and nutrients (mostly ammonia and phosphate) did not alter the taxonomic composition of the coastal microbiota, but triggered reorganization of metabolic pathways in them. We observed enhanced metabolism of proteins, amino acids, lipids, and carbohydrates, particularly of the lineages Alteromonadales, Rhodobacterales, and Flavobacteriales. Glaciecola (Alteromonadales), a copiotroph with antagonistic traits, significantly contributed to these shifts. Conversely, allochthonous taxa like Legionellales and Pseudomonadales had minimal impact. Elevated phosphorus concentrations resulting from wastewater input reduced the synthesis of proteins linked to scavenging phosphorus from organic phosphorus compounds, including alkaline phosphatase activity in native Rhodobacterales and Flavobacteriales, with important ecological implications for phosphorus-depleted coastal ecosystems. Furthermore, the presence of wastewater caused a decline in relative abundance and metabolic activity of Synechococcus, potentially affecting carbon cycling. Yet, the coastal microbiome rapidly respired wastewater-derived dissolved organic carbon, resulting in bacterial growth efficiencies consistent with global coastal averages. Conclusions Our findings highlight the capacity of coastal microbiomes to withstand wastewater discharge, with critical implications for assessment of anthropogenic perturbations in coastal ecosystems. However, wastewater-driven changes in metabolic functions and niche utilization within the autochthonous microbial community, impacting phosphorus cycling and potentially affecting carbon cycling, may have long-term consequences for ecosystem functioning. Ključne besede: wastewater, microorganisms, metagenomics, metaproteomics Objavljeno v DiRROS: 27.01.2026; Ogledov: 112; Prenosov: 79
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2. Diversity of the surface microbiome of canopy-forming brown macroalgae (Fucales) in the northern AdriaticNeža Orel, Ana Lokovšek, Martina Orlando-Bonaca, Tinkara Tinta, 2025, izvirni znanstveni članek Povzetek: Canopy-forming brown macroalgae (Fucales) offer numerous key ecosystem services in Mediterranean coastal areas. However, anthropogenic pressures and climate change have significantly impacted their habitats, leading to an extensive population decline. Interactions between algae and microbiota are a major ecological aspect, yet they represent a significant knowledge gap. In our baseline study, we describe the diversity and host specificity of the microbiome of two genetically identical but morphologically distinct populations of Gongolaria barbata from anthropogenically impacted northern Adriatic Sea. Our preliminary results showed that the microbiomes of G. barbata exhibited low host specificity, with 75% of the algae-associated amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) being part of the core coastal ecosystem microbiome. However, microbiomes of specific algal parts, ambient seawater, and sediment differed significantly in terms of alpha diversity and composition. In contrast, the holdfast and axis show higher similarity with sediment microbiomes, indicating potential horizontal transmission pathways. Microbiomes associated with deciduous parts of morphologically distinct G. barbata populations showed no difference in alpha diversity and composition. In contrast, higher variation in alpha diversity and lower sequence proportion of shared ASVs were observed in the holdfast and axis of the two distinct populations. Our observational study provides valuable new insights and baseline for future hypothesis-driven research on the interactions between algae and associated microbiota—a knowledge gap that needs to be addressed in the future for better understanding of the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of coastal ecosystems. Ključne besede: ecosystem services, anthropogenic pressures, microbiome, host specificity, alpha diversity, marine biology, ecology Objavljeno v DiRROS: 18.04.2025; Ogledov: 678; Prenosov: 571
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3. Jellyfish modulate bacterial dynamic and community structureTinkara Tinta, Tjaša Kogovšek, Alenka Malej, Valentina Turk, 2012, izvirni znanstveni članek Povzetek: Jellyfish blooms have increased in coastal areas around the world and the outbreaks have become longer and more frequent over the past few decades. The Mediterranean Sea is among the heavily affected regions and the common bloom - forming taxa are scyphozoans Aurelia aurita s.l., Pelagia noctiluca, and Rhizostoma pulmo. Jellyfish have few natural predators, therefore their carcasses at the termination of a bloom represent an organic-rich substrate that supports rapid bacterial growth, and may have a large impact on the surrounding environment. The focus of this study was to explore whether jellyfish substrate have an impact on bacterial community phylotype selection. We conducted in situ jellyfish - enrichment experiment with three different jellyfish species. Bacterial dynamic together with nutrients were monitored to assess decaying jellyfish-bacteria dynamics. Our results show that jellyfish biomass is characterized by protein rich organic matter, which is highly bioavailable to ‘jellyfish - associated’ and ‘free - living’ bacteria, and triggers rapid shifts in bacterial population dynamics and composition. Based on 16S rRNA clone libraries and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis, we observed a rapid shift in community composition from unculturable Alphaproteobacteria to culturable species of Gammaproteobacteria and Flavobacteria. The results of sequence analyses of bacterial isolates and of total bacterial community determined by culture independent genetic analysis showed the dominance of the Pseudoalteromonadaceae and the Vibrionaceae families. Elevated levels of dissolved proteins, dissolved organic and inorganic nutrient release, bacterial abundance and carbon production as well as ammonium concentrations characterized the degradation process. The biochemical composition of jellyfish species may influence changes in the amount of accumulated dissolved organic and inorganic nutrients. Our results can contribute insights into possible changes in bacterial population dynamics and nutrient pathways following jellyfish blooms which have important implications for ecology of coastal waters.
Ključne besede: sea, medusae, research programmes, DGGE, Pelagia noctiluca, gel electrophoresis, oligotrophic waters, Adriatic Sea, jellyfish, gelatinous zooplankton, bacteria, flavobacteria Objavljeno v DiRROS: 26.03.2025; Ogledov: 833; Prenosov: 619
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4. Short-term changes in microbial communities in the water column around the fish farm in the Bay of PiranValentina Turk, Tinkara Tinta, 2021, izvirni znanstveni članek Povzetek: A multidisciplinary approach was used to study the impact of fish farming on coastal bacterial communities in the inner part of the Bay of Piran (northern Adriatic). Differences in bacterial abundance, production and the occurrence of selected bacterial groups were studied in the water column around the cage and at different distances from the centre of the fish cage towards the open water, i.e., reference marine station. We also examined the effect of fish feeding on the surrounding system in a short-term in situ experiment based on the simultaneous collection of seawater samples from different locations around the fish cage before and after feeding of fish. Our study suggests that fish feeding has a moderate short-term effect on water column parameters, including bacterial abundance and production, only at a limited distance from the fish cages. The nitrifying, ammonia-oxidizing bacterial groups, as determined by the fluorescent in situ hybridization method, were represented at a higher percentage in the seawater samples in the middle and around the fish cages. β- Proteobacteria, γ-Proteobacteria and the Cytophaga-Flavobacterium group were represented to a higher percentage at sampling sites in the middle of the Bay of Piran and at the reference marine station. The Vibrio group was detected at all sampling sites. The accumulation of organically enriched fish food and waste products released into the seawater during the short-term experiment resulted in a significant increase in particulate matter, orthophosphate and ammonium. In response to the increase in inorganic nutrients, we observed a significant increase in bacterial production, while no significant differences were observed in bacterial abundance in such short time. Ključne besede: aquaculture, bacterial abundance, bacterial community composition, bacterial production, fluorescent in situ hybridisation, pollution Objavljeno v DiRROS: 19.03.2025; Ogledov: 612; Prenosov: 592
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5. Jellyfish blooms : an overlooked hotspot and potential vector for the transmission of antimicrobial resistance in marine environmentsAlan X. Elena, Neža Orel, Peiju Fang, Gerhard J. Herndl, Thomas U. Berendonk, Tinkara Tinta, Uli Klümper, 2025, izvirni znanstveni članek Povzetek: Gelatinous zooplankton (GZ) represents an important component of marine food webs, capable of generating massive blooms with severe environmental impact. When these blooms collapse, considerable amounts of organic matter (GZ-OM) either sink to the seafloor or can be introduced into the ocean’s interior, promoting bacterial growth and providing a colonizable surface for microbial interactions. We hypothesized that GZ-OM is an overlooked marine hotspot for transmitting antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). To test this, we first re-analyzed metagenomes from two previous studies that experimentally evolved marine microbial communities in the presence and absence of OM from Aurelia aurita and Mnemiopsis leidyi recovered from bloom events and thereafter performed additional time-resolved GZ-OM degradation experiments to improve sample size and statistical power of our analysis. We analyzed these communities for composition, ARG, and mobile genetic element (MGE) content. Communities exposed to GZ-OM displayed up to fourfold increased relative ARG and up to 10-fold increased MGE abundance per 16S rRNA gene copy compared to the controls. This pattern was consistent across ARG and MGE classes and independent of the GZ species, indicating that nutrient influx and colonizable surfaces drive these changes. Potential ARG carriers included genera containing potential pathogens raising concerns of ARG transfer to pathogenic strains. Vibrio was pinpointed as a key player associated with elevated ARGs and MGEs. Whole-genome sequencing of a Vibrio isolate revealed the genetic capability for ARG mobilization and transfer. This study establishes the first link between two emerging issues of marine coastal zones, jellyfish blooms and ARG spread, both likely increasing with future ocean change. Hence, jellyfish blooms are a quintessential “One Health” issue where decreasing environmental health directly impacts human health. Ključne besede: gelatinous zooplankton, antimicrobial resistance genes, organic matter, microbial interactions, vibrio Objavljeno v DiRROS: 20.02.2025; Ogledov: 892; Prenosov: 463
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6. Animal life in the shallow subseafloor crust at deep-sea hydrothermal ventsMonika Bright, Sabine Gollner, André Luiz de Oliveira, Salvador Espada-Hinojosa, Avery Fulford, Tihomir Makovec, Tinkara Tinta, 2024, izvirni znanstveni članek Povzetek: It was once believed that only microbes and viruses inhabited the subseafloor crust beneath hydrothermal vents. Yet, on the seafloor, animals like the giant tubeworm Riftia pachyptila thrive. Their larvae are thought to disperse in the water column, despite never being observed there. We hypothesized that these larvae travel through the subseafloor via vent fluids. In our exploration, lifting lobate lava shelves revealed adult tubeworms and other vent animals in subseafloor cavities. The discovery of vent endemic animals below the visible seafloor shows that the seafloor and subseafloor faunal communities are connected. The presence of adult tubeworms suggests larval dispersal through the recharge zone of the hydrothermal circulation system. Given that many of these animals are host to dense bacterial communities that oxidize reduced chemicals and fix carbon, the extension of animal habitats into the subseafloor has implications for local and regional geochemical flux measurements. These findings underscore the need for protecting vents, as the extent of these habitats has yet to be fully ascertained. Ključne besede: subseafloor, hydrothermal vents, tubeworms, larvae, vent fluids, bacterial communities, geochemical flux, geochemistry, marine biology Objavljeno v DiRROS: 22.10.2024; Ogledov: 851; Prenosov: 1393
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7. Določanje dobrega okoljskega stanja. Poročilo za člen 9 Okvirne direktive o morski strategiji : zaključno poročilo 2012Martina Orlando-Bonaca, Lovrenc Lipej, Alenka Malej, Janja Francé, Branko Čermelj, Oliver Bajt, Nives Kovač, Borut Mavrič, Valentina Turk, Patricija Mozetič, Andreja Ramšak, Tjaša Kogovšek, Milijan Šiško, Vesna Flander-Putrle, Mateja Grego, Tinkara Tinta, Boris Petelin, Martin Vodopivec, Maja Jeromel, Urška Martinčič, Vlado Malačič, končno poročilo o rezultatih raziskav Povzetek: Deskriptor 1: Biotska raznovrstnost se ohranja. Kakovost in prisotnost habitatov ter razporeditev in številčnost vrst so v skladu s prevladujočimi fiziografskimi, geografskimi in podnebnimi pogoji.
»Presojo je treba opraviti na več ekoloških ravneh: na ravni ekosistemov, habitatov (vključno z njimi povezanimi združbami na nivoju biotopov) in vrst, ki so upoštevane v strukturi tega dela ob upoštevanju točke 2 dela A. Za nekatere vidike tega deskriptorja je potrebna dodatna znanstvena in tehnična podpora. Pri obravnavi širšega obsega deskriptorja je treba ob upoštevanju Priloge III k Direktivi 2008/56/ES določiti prioritete med elementi biotske raznovrstnosti (vrste, habitati in ekosistemi). To omogoča prepoznavanje tistih elementov in območij, kjer vplivi in grožnje nastajajo, poleg tega pa podpira opredelitev ustreznih kazalcev med izbranimi merili, primernimi za zadevna območja in elemente biotske raznovrstnosti. Obveznost regionalnega sodelovanja iz členov 5 in 6 Direktive 2008/56/ES je neposredno povezana z izbiro elementov biotske raznovrstnosti znotraj regij, podregij in pododdelkov, kjer je mogoče, pa tudi z vzpostavitvijo referenčnih razmer v skladu s Prilogo IV k Direktivi 2008/56/ES. Modeliranje z uporabo platforme geografskega informacijskega sistema je lahko uporabna podlaga za določanje območja razširjenosti elementov biotske raznovrstnosti ter človekovih dejavnosti in pritiskov zaradi teh dejavnosti, ob upoštevanju, da se vse mogoče zajete napake ustrezno ocenijo in opišejo ob uporabi rezultatov. Ti podatki so pogoj za ekosistemsko upravljanje človekovih dejavnosti in za razvoj s tem povezanih prostorskih orodij.« Ključne besede: morje, obalno morje, onesnaževanje morja, plankton, hranilne snovi, ekološki parametri, onesnažila, onesnaževalci, biocenoze, okvirna direktiva o morski strategiji, poročila, onesnaženost, kvaliteta okolja, morska strategija, deskriptorji Objavljeno v DiRROS: 16.09.2024; Ogledov: 1714; Prenosov: 1053
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8. Strokovne podlage za implementacijo Okvirne direktive o morski strategiji (2008/56/ES) : zaključno poročilo 2013Martina Orlando-Bonaca, Oliver Bajt, Branko Čermelj, Damir Deželjin, Janja Francé, Tjaša Kogovšek, Nives Kovač, Lovrenc Lipej, Vlado Malačič, Alenka Malej, Borut Mavrič, Patricija Mozetič, Andreja Ramšak, Milijan Šiško, Tinkara Tinta, Valentina Turk, končno poročilo o rezultatih raziskav Povzetek: V obdobju od 1. septembra do 20. decembra 2013 smo na Morski biološki postaji Nacionalnega inštituta za biologijo zelo intenzivno delali na nalogah 1.4.3 (pisanje predloga programa spremljanja stanja za stalno presojo okoljskega stanja in razvoj potrebnih metodologij) in 1.4.7 (priprava podatkovne baze v skladu z zahtevami Evropske Komisije) projektne naloge za izdelavo strokovnih podlag za implementacijo Okvirne direktive o morski strategiji (2008/56/ES) v letu 2013. Z naročnikom smo sodelovali tudi pri nalogi 1.4.4 (priprava vsebin za sodelovanje z javnostmi). K sodelovanju pri nalogah 1.4.1 (sodelovanje pri nadaljnjem poročanju Evropski Komisiji), 1.4.2 (nadaljevanje kvantifikacije okoljskih ciljnih vrednosti), 1.4.5 (usklajevanje z državami regije in podregije), 1.4.6 (zagotovitev strokovne podpore Ministrstvu za kmetijstvo in okolje pri pripravi programov ukrepov), ki predstavljajo delo z naročnikom in drugimi inštitucijami, v tem obdobju nismo bili pozvani. Ključne besede: morje, obalno morje, onesnaževanje morja, plankton, hranilne snovi, ekološki parametri, implementacije, strokovne podlage, onesnažila, onesnaževalci, biocenoze, okvirna direktiva o morski strategiji, Okvirna vodna direktiva, poročila, onesnaženost, kvaliteta okolja, deskriptorji Objavljeno v DiRROS: 16.09.2024; Ogledov: 1068; Prenosov: 912
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9. Chemical composition and egg production capacity throughout bloom development of ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi in the northern Adriatic SeaKevin Rečnik, Katja Klun, Lovrenc Lipej, Alenka Malej, Tinkara Tinta, 2024, izvirni znanstveni članek Povzetek: High abundances of gelatinous zooplankton (GZ) can significantly impact marine
ecosystem by acting as both sink and source of organic matter (OM) and nutrients.
The decay of GZ bloom can introduce significant amount of OM to the ocean interior,
with its variability influenced by GZ life traits and environmental factors, impacting
microbial communities vital to marine biogeochemical cycles. The invasive ctenophores
Mnemiopsis leidyi has formed massive blooms in the northern Adriatic Sea since
2016. However, the variability in the chemical composition and egg production of
blooming populations, as well as the role of environmental factors in governing this
variability, remains largely unknown. Our analysis of biometry, chemical composition,
and fecundity of M. leidyi sampled in the Gulf of Trieste in 2021 revealed stable carbon
and nitrogen content throughout bloom development, with no significant correlation
with seawater temperature, salinity, oxygen, and chlorophyll a concentration. Although
the studied population exhibited homogeneity in terms of biometry and chemical
composition, the number of produced eggs varied substantially, showing no clear
correlation with environmental variables and being somewhat lower than previously
reported for the study area and other Mediterranean areas. We observed a positive
correlation between the wet weight of individuals and the percentage of hatched eggs,
as well as a significant positive correlation between the percentage of hatched eggs
and ambient seawater temperature. Additionally, we noted that the speed of hatching
decreased with decreasing seawater temperature in autumn, corresponding to the end
of M. leidyi bloom.
Ključne besede: ctenophore, biogeochemistry, egg production capacity, invasive species, chemical composition, marine ecology Objavljeno v DiRROS: 29.08.2024; Ogledov: 1116; Prenosov: 1071
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10. The ocean sampling day consortiumAnna Kopf, Valentina Turk, Tinkara Tinta, 2015, drugi znanstveni članki Povzetek: Ocean Sampling Day was initiated by the EU-funded Micro B3 (Marine Microbial Biodiversity, Bioinformatics, Biotechnology) project to obtain a snapshot of the marine microbial biodiversity and function of the world’s oceans. It is a simultaneous global mega-sequencing campaign aiming to generate the largest standardized microbial data set in a single day. This will be achievable only through the coordinated efforts of an Ocean Sampling Day Consortium, supportive partnerships and networks between sites. This commentary outlines the establishment, function and aims of the Consortium and describes our vision for a sustainable study of marine microbial communities and their embedded functional traits.
Objavljeno v DiRROS: 07.08.2024; Ogledov: 930; Prenosov: 825
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