Bacterial Communities Associated With Crustose Coralline Algae Are Host-Specific.

ABSTRACT: Crustose coralline algae (CCA) comprise hundreds of different species and are critical to coral reef growth, structural stability and coral recruitment. Despite their integral role in reef functioning, little is known about the diversity and structure of bacterial communities associated with CCA. We address this knowledge gap by characterising the surface microbial communities of 15 Indo-Pacific CCA species across eight different families from the Great Barrier Reef, using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. CCA microbial community composition was distinct and found to primarily differentiate by algal host species. When looking at the core bacterial communities, divergence across CCA microbiomes was additionally correlated to host phylogeny. CCA from similar light environments and depths also ha

SUBMITTER: Turnlund AC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12805225 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature