Host population genetics and biogeography structure the microbiome of the sponge Cliona delitrix.

ABSTRACT: Sponges occur across diverse marine biomes and host internal microbial communities that can provide critical ecological functions. While strong patterns of host specificity have been observed consistently in sponge microbiomes, the precise ecological relationships between hosts and their symbiotic microbial communities remain to be fully delineated. In the current study, we investigate the relative roles of host population genetics and biogeography in structuring the microbial communities hosted by the excavating sponge Cliona delitrix. A total of 53 samples, previously used to demarcate the population genetic structure of C. delitrix, were selected from two locations in the Caribbean Sea and from eight locations across the reefs of Florida and the Bahamas. Microbial communit

SUBMITTER: Easson CG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7042757 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature