Research from the National Antarctic Science Program seeks to describe the diseases caused by parasites and pathogens in different species from the bottom of the Southern Ocean, in order to generate a baseline of disease threats for species at high latitudes.
Harry Díaz Barría, Journalist.- The climate crisis has a profound impact on all corners of the planet and polar ecosystems are not immune to this problem. The biodiversity of the White Continent is being affected by various causes and one of them is the introduction of new species. This phenomenon, known as “invasive species”, is one of the three main factors that contribute to the loss of biodiversity and, precisely, Antarctic biological diversity is one of the most poorly described worldwide and this gap means that there are no baselines associated with what organisms exist there.
Pedro Murúa, an aquaculture engineer from the Universidad Austral de Chile, PhD in Biological Sciences from the University of Aberdeen (United Kingdom) and specialist in algae diseases, leads a research project together with Liliana Muñoz (specialist in oomycete diseases in molluscs and co-director of the project) through the National Antarctic Science Program (PROCIEN) entitled “TROYA: Tracking key members of the eukaryotic pathobiome of coastal Antarctic communities, with emphasis on oomycete parasites”, which aims to study the diseases of organisms that live in the seabed of the Southern Ocean.
This research focuses mainly on pseudofungi and more specifically on oomycetes, which are devastating parasites that affect various species, be they plants or animals. Murúa reports that the organisms to which reference is made “have an extremely relevant importance in agronomy, aquaculture, public and human health worldwide. In Chile, they do not represent a great problem for human health (as in Africa), but they do represent a problem for agriculture (such as late blight, which affects some crops). All members of these oomycetes are parasites and, for some unknown reason, the biodiversity of these pathogens is unknown in Antarctica.”
It is common for parasites to be viewed negatively, as they are associated with diseases and health problems. However, the importance of these organisms in regulating trophic webs worldwide is increasingly recognized. Parasites are an essential part of ecosystems and play a crucial role in the transformation of nutrients. The Antarctic case of parasites is quite unknown, or at least heavily concentrated in charismatic animals and plants, such as penguins, whales, krill, etc.
Methodology
To study this phenomenon, the scientists will analyze the diseases present in macroalgae and animals such as crustaceans and molluscs that live in different areas of the Southern Ocean, using techniques such as cultivation and microscopic observation. With this, it is hoped to create a registry of diseases for the organisms of this polar extreme.
One of the most relevant methods for this research is isolating and culturing parasites such as oomycetes in the laboratory to study how their growth and physiology change under different climatic conditions. They will also analyze the DNA of water samples and organisms from the seabed in different areas of the polar continent and other parts of the country, to compare the composition of pathogens (pathobiome) present in different habitats.
The ultimate goal of “TROYA” is to create laboratory models of Antarctic diseases that can be used to study how they adapt to cold and how they respond to climate change. Furthermore, these models will help to understand how the parasites connect with other regions further north. In the event that this research delivers the expected results, it could “generate a unique model of the Antarctic oomycete in the world, even the first to be isolated in the laboratory,” says Murúa.
The INACH is a technical body of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with full autonomy in everything related to Antarctic matters of a scientific, technological and dissemination nature. INACH complies with the National Antarctic Policy by encouraging the development of excellent research, effectively participating in the Antarctic Treaty System and related forums, strengthening Magallanes as the gateway to the White Continent and carrying out actions to disseminate Antarctic knowledge among citizens. . INACH organizes the National Antarctic Science Program (PROCIEN).
