Spatial, temporal and network analyses provide insights into the dynamics of the bacterial communities associated with two species of Caribbean octocorals and indicate possible key taxa.

ABSTRACT: Despite the current decline of scleractinian coral populations, octocorals are thriving on reefs in the Caribbean Sea and western North Atlantic Ocean. These cnidarians are holobiont entities, interacting with a diverse array of microorganisms. Few studies have investigated the spatial and temporal stability of the bacterial communities associated with octocoral species and information regarding the co-occurrence and potential interactions between specific members of these bacterial communities remain sparse. To address this knowledge gap, this study investigated the stability of the bacterial assemblages associated with two common Caribbean octocoral species, Eunicea flexuosa and Antillogorgia americana, across time and geographical locations and performed network analyses t

SUBMITTER: Monti M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10238251 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature