Microbiome matters: how transplantation methods and donor origins shape the successful restoration of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica
Abstract Background Posidonia oceanica forms extensive seagrass meadows in the Mediterranean Sea, providing key ecosystem services. However, these meadows decline due to anthropogenic pressures like anchoring and coastal development. Transplantation-based restoration has been explored for decades, y...
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BMC
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Environmental Microbiome |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40793-025-00764-9 |
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| author | Arnaud Boulenger Tânia Aires Aschwin H. Engelen Gerard Muyzer Michel Marengo Sylvie Gobert |
| author_facet | Arnaud Boulenger Tânia Aires Aschwin H. Engelen Gerard Muyzer Michel Marengo Sylvie Gobert |
| author_sort | Arnaud Boulenger |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Posidonia oceanica forms extensive seagrass meadows in the Mediterranean Sea, providing key ecosystem services. However, these meadows decline due to anthropogenic pressures like anchoring and coastal development. Transplantation-based restoration has been explored for decades, yet the role of the plant-associated microbiome in restoration success remains largely unknown. Results 16 S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was used to investigate how different transplantation methods and donor origins influence the bacterial communities of P. oceanica cuttings two years post-transplantation. We tested three transplantation methods, iron staples, coconut fiber mats, and BESE elements, and compared them with control meadows and donor populations from two different origins: naturally uprooted storm-fragments and intermatte cuttings manually harvested from established meadows. Our results show that transplantation methods strongly shape bacterial communities in seagrass roots. Iron staples promoted microbial assemblages most similar to natural meadows, likely due to direct sediment contact enhancing recruitment of key functional bacterial orders such as Chromatiales and Desulfobacterales. In contrast, BESE elements and coconut fiber mats displayed dissimilar bacterial communities compared to control meadows, likely due to material composition and physical separation between the cuttings and the sediment. Donor origin had only subtle effects on bacterial communities’ structure, although intermatte cuttings showed higher abundances of Candidatus Thiodiazotropha, a genus thought to be involved sulfur oxidation and nitrogen fixation. Conclusion Our results demonstrate that transplantation methods strongly influence root-associated bacterial communities. Limited sediment contact in elevated substrates delayed the establishment of key functional bacteria, highlighting the importance of direct interaction with the sediment microbial pool. These results imply that restoration strategies should prioritize methods enhancing sediment–root interactions to support microbial recovery. Incorporating microbiome considerations, such as optimized substrates or microbial inoculation, could improve the resilience and long-term success of P. oceanica restoration. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-22e1a4bb020543ffad189cb7326d0bf3 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2524-6372 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Microbiome |
| spelling | doaj-art-22e1a4bb020543ffad189cb7326d0bf32025-08-20T03:06:06ZengBMCEnvironmental Microbiome2524-63722025-08-0120111710.1186/s40793-025-00764-9Microbiome matters: how transplantation methods and donor origins shape the successful restoration of the seagrass Posidonia oceanicaArnaud Boulenger0Tânia Aires1Aschwin H. Engelen2Gerard Muyzer3Michel Marengo4Sylvie Gobert5Laboratory of Oceanology, MARE Centre, UR FOCUS, University of LiegeCentro de Ciências do Mar (CCMAR), Centro de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental (CIMAR), Universidade do AlgarveCentro de Ciências do Mar (CCMAR), Centro de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental (CIMAR), Universidade do AlgarveMicrobial Systems Ecology, Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of AmsterdamSTAtion de REcherche Sous-marines et Océanographiques (STARESO)Laboratory of Oceanology, MARE Centre, UR FOCUS, University of LiegeAbstract Background Posidonia oceanica forms extensive seagrass meadows in the Mediterranean Sea, providing key ecosystem services. However, these meadows decline due to anthropogenic pressures like anchoring and coastal development. Transplantation-based restoration has been explored for decades, yet the role of the plant-associated microbiome in restoration success remains largely unknown. Results 16 S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was used to investigate how different transplantation methods and donor origins influence the bacterial communities of P. oceanica cuttings two years post-transplantation. We tested three transplantation methods, iron staples, coconut fiber mats, and BESE elements, and compared them with control meadows and donor populations from two different origins: naturally uprooted storm-fragments and intermatte cuttings manually harvested from established meadows. Our results show that transplantation methods strongly shape bacterial communities in seagrass roots. Iron staples promoted microbial assemblages most similar to natural meadows, likely due to direct sediment contact enhancing recruitment of key functional bacterial orders such as Chromatiales and Desulfobacterales. In contrast, BESE elements and coconut fiber mats displayed dissimilar bacterial communities compared to control meadows, likely due to material composition and physical separation between the cuttings and the sediment. Donor origin had only subtle effects on bacterial communities’ structure, although intermatte cuttings showed higher abundances of Candidatus Thiodiazotropha, a genus thought to be involved sulfur oxidation and nitrogen fixation. Conclusion Our results demonstrate that transplantation methods strongly influence root-associated bacterial communities. Limited sediment contact in elevated substrates delayed the establishment of key functional bacteria, highlighting the importance of direct interaction with the sediment microbial pool. These results imply that restoration strategies should prioritize methods enhancing sediment–root interactions to support microbial recovery. Incorporating microbiome considerations, such as optimized substrates or microbial inoculation, could improve the resilience and long-term success of P. oceanica restoration.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40793-025-00764-9HolobiontMicrobiomeRhizosphereRestorationSeagrassSymbiosis |
| spellingShingle | Arnaud Boulenger Tânia Aires Aschwin H. Engelen Gerard Muyzer Michel Marengo Sylvie Gobert Microbiome matters: how transplantation methods and donor origins shape the successful restoration of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica Environmental Microbiome Holobiont Microbiome Rhizosphere Restoration Seagrass Symbiosis |
| title | Microbiome matters: how transplantation methods and donor origins shape the successful restoration of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica |
| title_full | Microbiome matters: how transplantation methods and donor origins shape the successful restoration of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica |
| title_fullStr | Microbiome matters: how transplantation methods and donor origins shape the successful restoration of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica |
| title_full_unstemmed | Microbiome matters: how transplantation methods and donor origins shape the successful restoration of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica |
| title_short | Microbiome matters: how transplantation methods and donor origins shape the successful restoration of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica |
| title_sort | microbiome matters how transplantation methods and donor origins shape the successful restoration of the seagrass posidonia oceanica |
| topic | Holobiont Microbiome Rhizosphere Restoration Seagrass Symbiosis |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40793-025-00764-9 |
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