Energetic costs of host–epibiont collaboration enhancing nutrient uptake

Determine and quantify the energetic costs to both sinking diatoms and attached ciliates arising from host–epibiont collaborations that increase nutrient uptake, including how such interactions modify motility-related energy expenditure and metabolic allocation.

Background

The authors cite evidence that ciliate epibionts on diatom hosts can substantially increase the host’s nutrient uptake, raising the Sherwood number.

While benefits are observed, the authors explicitly note that the associated costs for both partners remain unknown, motivating studies that allocate energy budgets for such interactions.