Changes in coral microbial communities in response to a natural pH gradient

Changes in coral reef communities across a natural gradient in seawater pH

Ocean acidification threatens the survival of coral reef ecosystems worldwide. The negative effects of ocean acidification observed in many laboratory experiments have been seen in studies of naturally low-pH reefs, with little evidence to date for adaptation. Recently, we reported initial data suggesting that low-pH coral communities of the Palau Rock Islands appear healthy despite the extreme...

Changes in microbial communities in response to submarine groundwater input

The effects of submarine groundwater on the native plankton populations of a coastal area were examined through a series of in situ groundwater addition experiments carried out during the summer in a Mediterranean embayment. Different percentages (4, 8, 10 and 12%) of groundwater extracted from 2 intertidal coastal localities subjected to different land uses were added to picoplankton-dominated...

Changes in microbial communities, photosynthesis and calcification of the coral Acropora gemmifera in response to ocean acidification

With the increasing anthropogenic CO2 concentration, ocean acidification (OA) can have dramatic effects on coral reefs. However, the effects of OA on coral physiology and the associated microbes remain largely unknown. In the present study, reef-building coral Acropora gemmifera collected from a reef flat with highly fluctuating environmental condition in the South China Sea were exposed to thr...

Metamorphosis of a scleractinian coral in response to microbial biofilms.

Microorganisms have been reported to induce settlement and metamorphosis in a wide range of marine invertebrate species. However, the primary cue reported for metamorphosis of coral larvae is calcareous coralline algae (CCA). Herein we report the community structure of developing coral reef biofilms and the potential role they play in triggering the metamorphosis of a scleractinian coral. Two-w...

Running head : Coral microbial communities and disease