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Benthic copepod guts as a selective microbial microhabitat in marine sediments

Bram Martin (UGent) , Anna-Maria Vafeiadou (UGent) , Nico Boon (UGent) and Marleen De Troch (UGent)
(2025) MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES. 756. p.19-29
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Abstract
The gut microbiome of the benthic copepod Platychelipus littoralis, a key species in the intertidal mudflats of western Europe, was characterized throughout a 1 yr period. It was hypothesized that benthic copepods living in sediment would have core microbial taxa in their gut microbiome, in accordance with the gut microbiomes of pelagic copepods living in the water column, but that this community might change rapidly. Copepods were isolated from sediment, and after a starvation period, the guts were microdissected. The copepod gut was found to be a selective microbial microhabitat, significantly different in microbiome composition from the sediment, with lower species richness and evenness. Although microbial cell counts were low in copepod guts, the gut microbiome was stable between 24 and 48 h of egestion. Diatoms were the main food source of the copepods, as confirmed by fatty acid biomarkers. Core bacterial species in the gut belonged to Rhodobacteraceae, Flavobacteriaceae and Saprospiraceae, known as degraders of complex organic compounds. Bacteria were not a significant food source themselves, but core bacterial taxa were potentially involved in food-assisted degradation. This study elucidated bacteria-copepod interactions, relevant for the food web ecology of benthic systems and potentially the optimization of copepod culturing.
Keywords
Gut microbiome, Copepods, Intertidal sediment, Microhabitats, COLONIZATION, ZOOPLANKTON, BACTERIA, INSIGHTS, HOTSPOTS, SEA

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Citation

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MLA
Martin, Bram, et al. “Benthic Copepod Guts as a Selective Microbial Microhabitat in Marine Sediments.” MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES, vol. 756, 2025, pp. 19–29, doi:10.3354/meps14800.
APA
Martin, B., Vafeiadou, A.-M., Boon, N., & De Troch, M. (2025). Benthic copepod guts as a selective microbial microhabitat in marine sediments. MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES, 756, 19–29. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps14800
Chicago author-date
Martin, Bram, Anna-Maria Vafeiadou, Nico Boon, and Marleen De Troch. 2025. “Benthic Copepod Guts as a Selective Microbial Microhabitat in Marine Sediments.” MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES 756: 19–29. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps14800.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Martin, Bram, Anna-Maria Vafeiadou, Nico Boon, and Marleen De Troch. 2025. “Benthic Copepod Guts as a Selective Microbial Microhabitat in Marine Sediments.” MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES 756: 19–29. doi:10.3354/meps14800.
Vancouver
1.
Martin B, Vafeiadou A-M, Boon N, De Troch M. Benthic copepod guts as a selective microbial microhabitat in marine sediments. MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES. 2025;756:19–29.
IEEE
[1]
B. Martin, A.-M. Vafeiadou, N. Boon, and M. De Troch, “Benthic copepod guts as a selective microbial microhabitat in marine sediments,” MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES, vol. 756, pp. 19–29, 2025.
@article{01JP58XJMSE4ZW9Q5VDWSVSD04,
  abstract     = {{The gut microbiome of the benthic copepod Platychelipus littoralis, a key species in the intertidal mudflats of western Europe, was characterized throughout a 1 yr period. It was hypothesized that benthic copepods living in sediment would have core microbial taxa in their gut microbiome, in accordance with the gut microbiomes of pelagic copepods living in the water column, but that this community might change rapidly. Copepods were isolated from sediment, and after a starvation period, the guts were microdissected. The copepod gut was found to be a selective microbial microhabitat, significantly different in microbiome composition from the sediment, with lower species richness and evenness. Although microbial cell counts were low in copepod guts, the gut microbiome was stable between 24 and 48 h of egestion. Diatoms were the main food source of the copepods, as confirmed by fatty acid biomarkers. Core bacterial species in the gut belonged to Rhodobacteraceae, Flavobacteriaceae and Saprospiraceae, known as degraders of complex organic compounds. Bacteria were not a significant food source themselves, but core bacterial taxa were potentially involved in food-assisted degradation. This study elucidated bacteria-copepod interactions, relevant for the food web ecology of benthic systems and potentially the optimization of copepod culturing.}},
  author       = {{Martin, Bram and Vafeiadou, Anna-Maria and Boon, Nico and De Troch, Marleen}},
  issn         = {{0171-8630}},
  journal      = {{MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES}},
  keywords     = {{Gut microbiome,Copepods,Intertidal sediment,Microhabitats,COLONIZATION,ZOOPLANKTON,BACTERIA,INSIGHTS,HOTSPOTS,SEA}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{19--29}},
  title        = {{Benthic copepod guts as a selective microbial microhabitat in marine sediments}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.3354/meps14800}},
  volume       = {{756}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}
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