coral and microbial interaction for larvae settlement and growth

Abstract

The function of coral microbiome is more critical in non-symbiotic, azooxanthellate corals and the complex of community leads to healthy coral life and also the pattern of abundance and diversity shapes coral resilience and adaptation to environmental change. In this study, we investigated the microbiome composition in azooxanthellate coral and compared it between corals under reproduction period and non-reproduction period and also habitat seawater and non-habitat seawater with seasonal variation. In addition, we examined the effect of microbiome on the coral larvae settlement. The majority of OTUs significantly shifted in corals under reproduction period and in coral habitat seawater indicated distinction in the relative abundance of bacteria compartment/site‐wise. Richness and diversity were higher, and more taxa were enriched in the corals under reproduction period and coral habitat seawater in summer. Flavobacteria and alphaproteobacteria dominated corals under reproduction period and coral habitat seawater in summer. Flavobacteriaceae and Oceanospirillaceae showed the most dramatic difference between corals in reproduction period and non-reproduction period. Flavobacteriaceae and rhodobacteriaceae showed the biggest composition difference between coral habitat seawater and non-habitat seawater. In the larvae settlement experiment, coral larvae settled on the microbiome coated surface 70% higher than non-coated surface and the normal polyp development were enhanced in group on the microbiome coated surface. We suggest that coral restoration through their microbiome could be a self- sustaining tool in worldwide coral decline. This work was supported by Marine Biotics project (20210469) funded by Ministry of Ocean and Fisheries, Korea.