How do Antarctic marine organisms defend themselves? Chemical weapons under the ice

Authors

  • Conxita Àvila Universitat de Barcelona
  • Rafael Martín-Martín Universitat de Barcelona
  • Paula de Castro-Fernández Universitat de Barcelona
  • Carlos Angulo-Preckler Universitat de Barcelona

Keywords:

benthic invertebrates, macroalgae, natural products, chemical ecology, bioactivity.

Abstract

Polar regions are suffering the fastest warming rates on our planet, causing a loss of sea ice and the retreat of coastal glaciers and ice shelves. Benthic marine species are exposed to major challenges due to environmental changes: higher temperatures, ocean acidification, increasing UV radiation, altered sea ice levels, iceberg scouring, etc. Marine natural products (mainly secondary metabolites) comprise for the most part secondary metabolites regulating the biology, coexistence and coevolution of species. Natural products play important roles in predator-prey interactions as well as in symbiosis, competition, antifouling (to prevent the growth of epibionts), reproduction, larval settlement, etc. We review here the most recent findings regarding the chemical ecology of Antarctic marine macroorganisms, including seaweeds, sponges, cnidarians, bryozoans, molluscs, echinoderms and tunicates, in which a number of new natural products with diverse properties, such as unpalatability, antibacterial activity, cytotoxicity and others, have been reported. How climate change may affect the production of natural compounds and species survival is a very interesting topic for future research.

Keywords: benthic invertebrates, macroalgae, natural products, chemical ecology, bioactivity.

Author Biography

Conxita Àvila, Universitat de Barcelona


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Issue

Vol. 70 (2020)

Section

Destacats de recerca

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