Concordance of microbial and visual health indicators of white-band disease in nursery reared Caribbean coral Acropora cervicornis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Coral diseases are one of the leading causes of declines in coral populations. In the Caribbean, white band disease (WBD) has led to a substantial loss of Acropora corals. Although the etiologies of this disease have not been well described, characterizing the coral microbiome during the transition from a healthy to diseased state is critical for understanding disease progression. Coral nurseries provide unique opportunities to further understand the microbial changes associated with diseased and healthy corals, because corals are monitored over time. We characterized the microbiomes before and during an outbreak of WBD in Acropora cervicornis reared in an ocean nursery in Little Cayman, CI. We asked (1) do healthy corals show the same microbiome over time

SUBMITTER: Schul MD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10290447 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature