Solan, M. | Search bioRxiv

bioRxiv2026

Sediment depth-dependent trait expression controls species contributions to nutrient cycling

Global biodiversity loss is restructuring ecological communities and compromising ecosystem functioning. Yet, we still lack an empirical understanding of how specific trait combinations regulate ecosystem processes or how their functional expression is organised within the immediate environment. Here, we investigated trait-expression across 17 functionally contrasting sediment-dwelling marine invertebrate species. We show that while sediment reworking and burrow ventilation are depth dependent, their influence on nutrient concentrations are highly nutrient-specific. Our analyses reveal that nutrient concentrations are better explained by continuous, spatially explicit trait combinations than by categorical bioturbation modes. Surface modification was associated with higher ammonium concentrations, moderated by ventilation, while deeper sediment reworking and biomass were associated with higher nitrite concentrations. Phosphate relationships were weak, and nitrate was not explained by the measured traits. These results establish a mechanistic baseline for species-specific trait-nutrient relationships under controlled conditions. This shift from categorical trait assignments to a spatially explicit, empirically resolved trait-interaction framework provides a mechanistic foundation for predicting how changes in species composition may alter benthic nutrient cycling.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2024

The molecular arsenal of the key coastal bioturbator Hediste diversicolor faced with changing oceans

The importance of infaunal bioturbators for the functioning of marine ecosystems cannot be overstated. Inhabitants of estuarine and coastal habitats are expected to show resilience to fluctuations in seawater temperature and pH, which adds complexity to our understanding of the effects of global change drivers. Further, stress responses may be propagated through chemical cues within and across species, which may amplify the costs of life and alter species interactions. Research into the molecular mechanisms underlying this resilience has been limited by a lack of annotated genomes and associated molecular tools. In this study, we present the first chromosome-level, annotated draft genome of the marine ragworm Hediste diversicolor, specifically mapping genes important for chemical communication, sensing and pH homeostasis. Using these resources, we then evaluate the transcriptomic and behavioural responses of two distinct populations -- one field-sampled from Portugal (Ria Formosa) and one laboratory-acclimated and -bred from the United Kingdom (Humber) -- to changes in seawater pH, temperature, and odour cues from a low pH-stressed predator. Both populations displayed adaptive responses to future oceanic conditions, with targeted acid-base regulation in the Ria Formosa population experiment, and broader changes in metabolism and growth genes in the Humber population experiment. Chemical cues from stressed fish predators induced genes related to Schreckstoff biosynthesis in ragworms. Additionally, under future ocean conditions including increased temperature, the Humber population exhibited signs of cellular stress and damage. Our findings using the new annotated genome offer novel insights into the molecular arsenal of acid-base regulation which aids in predicting the impacts of an increasingly acidified and unstable ocean, and to transfer this knowledge to investigate these mechanisms in species with less tolerance.

genomics↗