Nutrient enrichment increases size of Zostera marina shoots and enriches for sulfur and nitrogen cycling bacteria in root-associated microbiomes

Abstract

Seagrasses are vital coastal ecosystem engineers, which are mutualistically associated with microbial communities that contribute to the ecosystem services provided by meadows. The seagrass microbiome and sediment microbiota play vital roles in belowground biogeochemical and carbon cycling. These activities are influenced by nutrient, carbon and oxygen availability, all of which are modulated by environmental factors and plant physiology. Seagrass meadows are increasingly threatened by nutrient pollution, and it is unknown how the seagrass microbiome will respond to this stressor. We investigated the effects of fertilization on the physiology, morphology and microbiome of eelgrass (Zostera marina) cultivated over 4 weeks in mesocosms. We analyzed the community structure associated with eelgrass leaf, root and rhizosphere microbiomes, and of communities from water column and bulk sediment using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Fertilization led to a higher number of leaves compared with that of eelgrass kept under ambient conditions. Additionally, fertilization led to enrichment of sulfur and nitrogen bacteria in belowground communities. These results suggest nutrient enrichment can stimulate belowground biogeochemical cycling, potentially exacerbating sulfide toxicity in sediments and decreasing future carbon sequestration stocks.