Direct contribution of invertebrate holobionts to methane release from coastal sediments

• Published in: Limnology and oceanography letters Vol. 8; no. 6; pp. 876 - 884
• Main Authors: Politi, Tobia, Zilius, Mindaugas, Bartoli, Marco, Cardini, Ulisse, Marzocchi, Ugo, Bonaglia, Stefano
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01-12-2023; Wiley
• Subjects: Animals; Biogeochemical cycles; Biogeochemistry; Bioturbation; Ecology; Ekologi; Environmental factors; Environmental Sciences; Estuaries; Food webs; Geochemistry; Geokemi; Invertebrates; Macrofauna; Marin teknik; Marine Engineering; Methane; Miljövetenskap; Oceanografi, hydrologi, vattenresurser; Oceanography, Hydrology, Water Resources; Pore water; Regression analysis; Respiration; Salinity; Sediments
• ISSN: 2378-2242; 2378-2242
• DOI: 10.1002/lol2.10361

Sediment macrofauna play a vital role in sustaining aquatic food webs and biogeochemical cycles. Previous research demonstrated that bioturbation indirectly affects methane (CH
4
) dynamics through mobilization of porewater and alteration of microbial processes in the surrounding sediment. However, little is known on the direct contribution of macrofauna holobionts (the assemblage of invertebrate host and associated microbiome) to biogeochemical fluxes. Here, we investigated how 19 taxa of macrofauna holobionts, from different estuarine habitats spanning 40° to 63° latitude, directly contribute to CH
4
fluxes. Deep burrowing infauna and deposit feeders were responsible for the highest CH
4
production, whereas epifauna and filter feeders promoted oxidative CH
4
consumption. Among the different environmental parameters, salinity was inversely correlated with CH
4
production by macrofauna holobionts, with the process suppressed at high salinity (≥ 33). This study provides empirical evidence on how functional traits and environmental factors influence sediment invertebrates' contribution to CH
4
fluxes.