Mangrove endophyte metabolites and herbivory-ecology of the bioactive niche

With such great species diversity, it is unsurprising that the mangrove ecosystem harbors many complex ecological interactions. Even within each mangrove we observe a world teeming with biodiversity- we enter the realm of endophytes. The diverse and innumerable fungal and bacterial species create a unique chemical environment, affecting not only the trees themselves, but also the other residents of the mangrove community. Isolated endophytes produce many bioactive metabolites, with pathogens one would associate with the tropical mangrove environment. We have begun to observe the ecological interactions these endophytes and their secondary metabolites have on the invertebrate herbivores that predate the three species of mangroves found in costal Florida, white (Laguncularia racemosa), red (Rhizophora mangle), and black (Avicenna germinans). Identification and quantification of leaf tissue damage alongside a metabolomic study of the fungal metabolites, allows us to outline the ecological significance for the endophytes.