Symbiodiniaceae and Bacterial Microbiome Dynamics Differentially Impact the Survival of Dominant Reef-Flat Porites Corals
Lock, Colin, Miller, Therese C., Anthony, Colin J., Rouzé, Héloïse, Fifer, James, McDermott, Grace, Tramonte, Carlos A., Paulino, Loreto, Davies, Sarah W., Raymundo, Laurie, and Bentlage, Bastian (2025) Symbiodiniaceae and Bacterial Microbiome Dynamics Differentially Impact the Survival of Dominant Reef-Flat Porites Corals. Environmental Microbiology, 27 (9). e70175.
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Abstract
Coral reefs face significant threats across the globe, prompting a surge in restoration efforts aimed at mitigating their global decline. The health, resilience, and adaptability of corals are greatly influenced by their microbial communities, and while the response of coral microbiomes to many environmental stressors has been extensively studied, less is known about their natural dynamics following transplantation, which is an essential process for restoring degraded reef habitats. In this study, we integrated DNA metabarcoding (16S & ITS2) with ecological monitoring to investigate the dynamics of Symbiodiniaceae and bacterial communities in two dominant coral spp., Porites lobata and Porites cylindrica, and their different colour morphs, as they underwent transplantation and an 18-week acclimatisation period. We saw significant differences in microbial communities between the two Porites spp., outplanting sites, and individual coral colonies, as well as a colour morph-related difference in P. lobata bacterial communities. We saw reduced relative abundances of Endozoicomonadaceae, specifically from the genus Parendozoicomonas, following transplantation. P. lobata colonies with later Symbiodiniaceae shifts (18 weeks) had lower long-term survival. Changes in Symbiodiniaceae and bacterial communities have implications for holobiont function and colony survival, which should be considered when designing and implementing coral reef rehabilitation projects.
| Item ID: | 89003 |
|---|---|
| Item Type: | Article (Research - C1) |
| ISSN: | 1462-2920 |
| Keywords: | acclimatisation, bacteria, coral restoration, Endozoicomonas, Parendozoicomonas, Porites, Symbiodiniaceae |
| Copyright Information: | © 2025 The Author(s). Environmental Microbiology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes. |
| Date Deposited: | 09 Jul 2026 06:29 |
| FoR Codes: | 31 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 3107 Microbiology > 310703 Microbial ecology @ 50% 31 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 3103 Ecology > 310305 Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology) @ 50% |
| SEO Codes: | 18 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT > 1805 Marine systems and management > 180504 Marine biodiversity @ 100% |
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