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Coral resilience varies across species, with some exhibiting remarkable stability and adaptability, often mediated by their associated microbiomes. Given the species-specific nature of coral-microbiome interactions, investigating the microbiomes of urban-adapted corals provides critical insights into the health, dynamics, and functioning of coral holobionts. In this study, we examined the microbiome ofMadracis auretenra, a Caribbean coral from Santa Marta, Colombia, across contrasting environmental conditions. Over two years, we compared the microbiomes of healthy and stressed coral colonies from two distinct reef habitats—urban and protected—using 16S rRNA gene sequencing (V4 region) to assess microbial diversity. Our findings revealed microbial richness and diversity were primarily influenced by seasonal and local factors rather than host-specific traits such as interaction with algae, health status, or microhabitat. These variations were not substantial enough to disrupt the overall microbial community structure, which remained stable across temporal and spatial scales. Dominant taxa includedEndozoicomonas, along with Vibrionaceae and Rhodobacteraceae, which form dense ecological interaction networks. Notably, nutrient and oxygen levels emerged as key drivers of microbiome fluctuations, yet Vibrionaceae populations exhibited exceptional temporal stability. These findings highlight the presence of a well-structured and resilient coral microbiome with minimal seasonal variability, even in urban-influenced environments. We propose that the dominance ofEndozoicomonasand the stability of Vibrionaceae populations play a pivotal role in maintaining microbiome balance, ultimately contributing to the ecological resilience ofM. auretenrain dynamic reef habitats.
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Systematic review of cnidarian microbiomes reveals insights into the structure, specificity, and fidelity of marine associations
Abstract Microorganisms play essential roles in the health and resilience of cnidarians. Understanding the factors influencing cnidarian microbiomes requires cross study comparisons, yet the plethora of protocols used hampers dataset integration. We unify 16S rRNA gene sequences from cnidarian microbiome studies under a single analysis pipeline. We reprocess 12,010 cnidarian microbiome samples from 186 studies, alongside 3,388 poriferan, 370 seawater samples, and 245 cultured Symbiodiniaceae, unifying ~6.5 billion sequence reads. Samples are partitioned by hypervariable region and sequencing platform to reduce sequencing variability. This systematic review uncovers an incredible diversity of 86 archaeal and bacterial phyla associated with Cnidaria, and highlights key bacteria hosted across host sub-phylum, depth, and microhabitat. Shallow (< 30 m) water Alcyonacea and Actinaria are characterized by highly shared and relatively abundant microbial communities, unlike Scleractinia and most deeper cnidarians. Utilizing the V4 region, we find that cnidarian microbial composition, richness, diversity, and structure are primarily influenced by host phylogeny, sampling depth, and ocean body, followed by microhabitat and sampling date. We identify host and geographical generalist and specificEndozoicomonasclades within Cnidaria and Porifera. This systematic review forms a framework for understanding factors governing cnidarian microbiomes and creates a baseline for assessing stress associated dysbiosis.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1831531
- PAR ID:
- 10441090
- Publisher / Repository:
- Nature Publishing Group
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Nature Communications
- Volume:
- 14
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 2041-1723
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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