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Harmful algal blooms are preceded by a predictable and quantifiable shift in the oceanic microbiome

Author

Listed:
  • Miranda C. Mudge

    (University of Washington)

  • Michael Riffle

    (University of Washington)

  • Gabriella Chebli

    (Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience)

  • Deanna L. Plubell

    (University of Washington)

  • Tatiana A. Rynearson

    (University of Rhode Island)

  • William S. Noble

    (University of Washington)

  • Emma Timmins-Schiffman

    (University of Washington)

  • Julia Kubanek

    (Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience
    Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience)

  • Brook L. Nunn

    (University of Washington)

Abstract

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) have become a worldwide environmental and human health problem, stressing the urgent need for a reliable forecasting tool. Dynamic interactions between algae, including harmful algae, and bacteria play a large role regulating water chemistry. Free-living bacteria quickly respond to small physical and/or chemical environmental changes by adjusting their proteome. We hypothesize that this response is detectable at the peptide level and occurs before rapid phytoplankton growth characteristic of harmful bloom events. To characterize the microbiome’s physiological changes preceding bloom onset, we collected and analyzed a high-resolution metaproteomic time series of a free-living microbiome in a coastal ecosystem. We confirm that twelve candidate HAB biomarkers are detectable, quantifiable, and correlated across two pre-bloom periods. This study identifies proteomic shifts in bacterial peptides which may be used as predictive biomarkers for forecasting harmful algal bloom initiation, potentially mitigating detrimental algal bloom outcomes in the future.

Suggested Citation

  • Miranda C. Mudge & Michael Riffle & Gabriella Chebli & Deanna L. Plubell & Tatiana A. Rynearson & William S. Noble & Emma Timmins-Schiffman & Julia Kubanek & Brook L. Nunn, 2025. "Harmful algal blooms are preceded by a predictable and quantifiable shift in the oceanic microbiome," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-14, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-59250-y
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-59250-y
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