The interplay between host-specificity and habitat-filtering influences sea cucumber microbiota across an environmental gradient of pollution.

Environmental gradients can influence morpho-physiological and life-history differences in natural populations. It is unclear, however, to what extent such gradients can also modulate phenotypic differences in other organismal characteristics such as the structure and function of host-associated microbial communities. In this work, we addressed this question by assessing intra-specific variation in the diversity, structure and function of environmental-associated (sediment and water) and animal-associated (skin and gut) microbiota along an environmental gradient of pollution in one of the most urbanized coastal areas in the world.

DNA methylation changes in response to ocean acidification at the time of larval metamorphosis in the edible oyster, Crassostrea hongkongensis.

Unprecedented rate of increased CO level in the ocean and the subsequent changes in carbonate system including decreased pH, known as ocean acidification (OA), is predicted to disrupt not only the calcification process but also several other physiological and developmental processes in a variety of marine organisms, including edible oysters. Nonetheless, not all species are vulnerable to those OA threats, e.g.

DNA methylation changes in response to ocean acidification at the time of larval metamorphosis in the edible oyster, Crassostrea hongkongensis.

Unprecedented rate of increased CO level in the ocean and the subsequent changes in carbonate system including decreased pH, known as ocean acidification (OA), is predicted to disrupt not only the calcification process but also several other physiological and developmental processes in a variety of marine organisms, including edible oysters. Nonetheless, not all species are vulnerable to those OA threats, e.g.