Transcriptomes of Deep Sea Octocorals from West Pacific Seamount

Abstract

Seamounts are relatively small sub-marine volcanoes that develop adjacent to mid-oceanic ridges, on the oceanic crust and also in extensional forearc basins along the island arcs. Since seamounts are volcanic and host active hydrothermal convective systems, seamounts have a significant effect on element cycles involving sea water and its dynamic interaction with the ocean crust. They may also have a significant influence on global ocean circulation patterns because their presence induces much greater mixing than is measured in areas with smooth bottom topography. Seamounts have a great effect on circulation patterns and currents, which in turn have very important effects on seamount biota. In general, seamounts host very diverse and abundant faunas, with important effects on oceanic biology. In this study, we explored seamounts in West Pacific, approximately 400km northeast from Guam, using ROV(remotely operated vehicle) and RV Onnuri to investigate the deep-sea fauna and biodiversity around the seamounts and aimed construction of the ecological map and discovery of biological resources, particularly from cnidarian. First of all, we purposed sampling of deep-sea coral species among the cnidarian and extracted its RNA and DNA. We constructed transcriptomic assemblage after de novo RNA sequencing to investigate further gene expressions in abiotic extreme environment and also to discover differentially expressed genes comparing between deep-sea environment and shallow water species or cold water and trophic coral species. This research was supported by KIOST (PE99824).