Microbiome differences in disease-resistant vs. susceptible Acropora corals subjected to disease challenge assays.

ABSTRACT: In recent decades coral gardening has become increasingly popular to restore degraded reef ecosystems. However, the growth and survivorship of nursery-reared outplanted corals are highly variable. Scientists are trying to identify genotypes that show signs of disease resistance and leverage these genotypes in restoring more resilient populations. In a previous study, a field disease grafting assay was conducted on nursery-reared Acropora cervicornis and Acropora palmata to quantify relative disease susceptibility. In this study, we further evaluate this field assay by investigating putative disease-causing agents and the microbiome of corals with disease-resistant phenotypes. We conducted 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing on A. cervicornis and A. palmata that were grafted (inoculate

SUBMITTER: Rosales SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6892807 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature