Molecular diversity and assemblages of coral symbionts (Symbiodiniaceae) in diverse scleractinian coral species
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
7-1-2022
Abstract
The scleractinian coral-associated symbiotic algae Symbiodiniaceae plays an important role in bleaching tolerance and coral resilience. In this study, coral-associated Symbiodiniaceae communities of 14 reef sites of Perhentian and Redang Islands Marine Parks (Malaysia, South China Sea) were characterized using the high-throughput next-generation amplicon sequencing on the ITS2 rDNA marker to inventory the Symbiodiniaceae diversity from a healthy tropical reef system and to generate a baseline for future studies. A total of 64 coral-Symbiodiniaceae associations were characterized in 18 genera (10 families) of scleractinian corals using the SymPortal analytical framework. The results revealed the predominance of Symbiodiniaceae genera Cladocopium (average 82%) and Durusdinium (18%), while Symbiodinium, Breviolum, Fugacium, and Gerakladium were found as minor groups (<0.01%). Of the 39 Cladocopium and Durusdinium major ITS2 sequences, 14 were considered dominant/sub-dominant, with C3u as the predominant type (63.3%), followed by Dl (15%), C27 (10.1%), and C15 (6.9%). A total of 19 and 13 Cladocopium and Durusdinium IT52-type profiles were detected across the coral species, respectively. Symbiodiniaceae diversity and richness recorded in this study were higher when compared to other reefs in the proximity. With the increasing coral-Symbiodiniaceae associations archived, the database would provide a baseline to assess the changes of Symbiodiniaceae communities in the coral hosts and to explore the potential adaptive roles of this coral-algal association.
Keywords
Coral reef, ITS2, Malaysia, Scleractinia, Symbiodiniaceae, SymPortal
Divisions
ocean
Funders
Malaysia Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) Fundamental Research Grant Scheme [FRGS/1/2019/WAB09/UM/02/3],MOHE Long-term Research Grant Scheme [LRGS/1/2020/UMT/01/1/3],HICoE [IOES-2014C],MOHE Fundamental Research Grant Scheme [FRGS/1/2019/WAB13/UM/02/2],China-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation Fund [2016YFE0202100]
Publication Title
Marine Environmental Research
Volume
179
Publisher
Elsevier
Publisher Location
THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND