The smell of seaweeds and their second skin: Do volatile infochemicals mediate biofouling processes?
Oceanography
Final Report Abstract
Through this project, we could demonstrate: 1. Most interesting and novel output of this project has been the demonstration of the role of seaweed volatiles in bacterial recruitment highlighting the importance of seaweed volatiles as signaling molecules towards bacteria. Such an effect has been demonstrated for the first time in aquatic environment. 2. Three genera of seaweeds differ in their volatilome profile. This suggests that volatile metabolomics could be adopted as a novel integrated approach to understand marine food web structure and function by focusing on marine BVOC signatures and their sensitivity to ‘bottom-up’ and ‘top-down’ controls. 3. Volatilome profile of axenic and non-axenic U. mutabilis is not substantially different. Thus, ecological interactions (towards bacteria) produced by these volatiles may not be different. 4. Production of the climate cooling gas, DMS is significantly higher in green seaweeds compared to red and brown seaweeds – making green seaweeds significant players in regulating climate chemistry. However, both axenic and non-axenic Ulva produce similar quantities of DMS. Thus, we conclude absence of bacteria does not impair DMS production in axenic variety of Ulva.
Publications
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(2019) Using chemical language to shape future marine health. Front Ecol Environ (Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment) 17 (9) 530–537
Saha, Mahasweta; Berdalet, Elisa; Carotenuto, Ylenia; Fink, Patrick; Harder, Tilmann; John, Uwe; Not, Fabrice; Pohnert, Georg; Potin, Philippe; Selander, Erik; Vyverman, Wim; Wichard, Thomas; Zupo, Valerio; Steinke, Michael
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2018. Volatile biomarkers for aquatic ecological research. Advances in Ecological Research 59, 75-92
Steinke M, Randall L, Dumbrell A, Saha M
