Many broadly‐dispersing corals acquire their algal symbionts (Symbiodiniaceae) “horizontally” from their environment upon recruitment. Horizontal transmission could promote coral fitness across diverse environments provided that corals can associate with divergent algae across their range and that these symbionts exhibit reduced dispersal potential. Here we quantified community divergence of
The existence of widespread species with the capacity to endure diverse, or variable, environments are of importance to ecological and genetic research, and conservation. Such “ecological generalists” are more likely to have key adaptations that allow them to better tolerate the physiological challenges of rapid climate change. Reef‐building corals are dependent on endosymbiotic dinoflagellates (Family: Symbiodiniaceae) for their survival and growth. While these symbionts are biologically diverse, certain genetic types appear to have broad geographic distributions and are mutualistic with various host species from multiple genera and families in the order Scleractinia that must acquire their symbionts through horizontal transmission. Despite the considerable ecological importance of putative host‐generalist symbionts, they lack formal species descriptions. In this study, we used molecular, ecological, and morphological evidence to verify the existence of five new host‐generalist species in the symbiodiniacean genus
- Award ID(s):
- 1719684
- PAR ID:
- 10440074
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley-Blackwell
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Phycology
- Volume:
- 59
- Issue:
- 4
- ISSN:
- 0022-3646
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- p. 698-711
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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