Symbiosis and microbiome flexibility in calcifying benthic foraminifera of the Great Barrier Reef.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Symbiosis is a phenomenon that allows organisms to colonise a wide range of environments and occupy a variety of ecological niches in marine environments. Large benthic foraminifera (LBF) are crucial marine calcifiers that rely on photo-endosymbionts for growth and calcification, yet the influence of environmental conditions in shaping their interactions with prokaryotic and eukaryotic associates is poorly known.

Results

Here, we used next-generation sequencing to identify eukaryotic photosynthesizing and prokaryotic microbes associated with the common LBF Amphistegina lobifera across a physio-chemical gradient on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). We collected samples from three reef sites located in the inner-, mid- and outer-shelf regions of the northern section of

SUBMITTER: Prazeres M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5364595 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature