Towards enhancing coral heat tolerance: a "microbiome transplantation" treatment using inoculations of homogenized coral tissues.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Microbiome manipulation could enhance heat tolerance and help corals survive the pressures of ocean warming. We conducted coral microbiome transplantation (CMT) experiments using the reef-building corals, Pocillopora and Porites, and investigated whether this technique can benefit coral heat resistance while modifying the bacterial microbiome. Initially, heat-tolerant donors were identified in the wild. We then used fresh homogenates made from coral donor tissues to inoculate conspecific, heat-susceptible recipients and documented their bleaching responses and microbiomes by 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding.

Results

Recipients of both coral species bleached at lower rates compared to the control group when exposed to short-term heat stress (34 °C). One hundred twelve (

SUBMITTER: Doering T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8103578 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature