Comparing bacterial communities associated with soft coral Scleronephthya gracillimum

Abstract

. Coral samples were collected from six geographically distinct areas, Kenting and Green Island in Taiwan, Tatsukushi and Wakayama in Japan, and Seongsan and Seogwipo in Korea to determine if there were biogeographic differences between the latitude. The results showed total 88 species of bacteria were found in S.gracillima and they were classified to 72 genus, 41 family, 32 order, 16 class and 13 phylum. The genus Endozoicomonas, a gammaproteobacteria that is frequently found to associate with marine invertebrates comprised a greater proportion of the operational taxonomic units (OTUs) shared in all samples. Community diversity according to the shannon index was highest in S.gracillima in Wakayama, Japan and the index of dominance showed the highest in S.gracillima in Kenting, Taiwan. Soft coral, S.gracillima were enriched in OTUs from the families Hahellaceae, Mycoplasmataceae, Alteromonadaceae, Anaplasmataceae, and Rhodobacteraceae. latitude. The results showed total 88 species of bacteria were found in S.gracillima and they were classified to 72 genus, 41 family, 32 order, 16 class and 13 phylum. The genus Endozoicomonas, a gammaproteobacteria that is frequently found to associate with marine invertebrates comprised a greater proportion of the operational taxonomic units (OTUs) shared in all samples. Community diversity according to the shannon index was highest in S.gracillima in Wakayama, Japan and the index of dominance showed the highest in S.gracillima in Kenting, Taiwan. Soft coral, S.gracillima were enriched in OTUs from the families Hahellaceae, Mycoplasmataceae, Alteromonadaceae, Anaplasmataceae, and Rhodobacteraceae.