Graduate Thesis Or Dissertation
 

Species- and Temporal-Specific Coral Microbiome Fluctuations in Response to a Natural Bleaching Event

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  • Corals provide a diversity of ecosystem services, are among the most biologically diverse ecosystems on Earth, and directly support ~500 million people globally; however, corals are increasingly experiencing significant threats and are undergoing severe bleaching events as the result of the warming climate. Using a two-year data set surrounding a massive bleaching event around the island of Mo’orea, French Polynesia, this study examines a vital determiner of coral health: its microbiome. We hypothesized that the microbiomes of the dominant corals Acropora hyacinthus, Pocillopora verrucosa, and Porites lobata would show stochastic responses to bleaching, yet degrees of resistance to bleaching would be coral species specific. Among all coral microbiomes, certain dominant families shifted in response to bleaching; however, coral species-specific responses were seen regarding fluctuations of Shannon diversity and richness, in addition to shifts in the relative abundance of the highly abundant family Endozoicomonas. Acropora hyacinthus bleached most readily. Pocillopora verrucosa had the lowest percent abundance of Endozoicomonas months before and during bleaching. In addition, it was the only coral species to have its microbiome increase in diversity and decrease in Endozoicomonas percent abundance before bleaching; however, its health trajectory followed that of Porites lobata relatively closely. Trends in the microbial community inhabiting Porites lobata including family level richness and diversity and Endozoicomonas levels followed those of Acropora hyacinthus closely.
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