Depth Influences Symbiodiniaceae Associations Among Montastraea cavernosa Corals on the Belize Barrier Reef

Research on the Belize Barrier Reef reveals that depth significantly influences the diversity and composition of Symbiodiniaceae taxa associated with the coral species Montastraea cavernosa. Shallow populations (10 and 16 m) exhibit greater diversity in Symbiodiniaceae ITS2 type profiles compared to deeper populations (25 and 35 m), following patterns similar to the coral host's population genetic structure. While nearly all Symbiodiniaceae taxa belong to the genus Cladocopium, some members appear to be shallow-specialized, not found in deeper populations. The study used high-throughput sequencing of the ITS2 region and SymPortal analysis framework to analyze previously-sampled M. cavernosa populations along a depth gradient.

Eckert, R. J., Reaume, A. M., Sturm, A. B., Studivan, M. S., & Voss, J. D. (2020). Depth Influences Symbiodiniaceae Associations Among Montastraea cavernosa Corals on the Belize Barrier Reef. Frontiers in Microbiology, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.00518