coral reef metagenome Targeted loci environmental

Coastal communities are increasingly threatened by deoxygenation events. While the response of the coral holobiont is well studied in response to warming sea surface temperature and ocean acidification, little is known about the response of the coral microbiome to deoxygenation. To investigate this further, we conducted a survey on coral reefs in Bahia Almirante, Panama, which have previously experienced episodes of low dissolved oxygen concentrations. Using 16S rRNA gene analysis, we will characterize the coral microbiomes to determine differences based on historical exposure to hypoxia. Differences in community structure could confer holobiont resistance to hypoxia via variance in metabolic pathways, nutrient cycling, or even pathogen resistance. Our work will further the knowledge gap in understanding the role of the coral microbiome in response to marine hypoxia.

沿海生态群落正日益受到海洋脱氧事件的威胁。尽管学界已围绕海表温度升高与海洋酸化对珊瑚共生体（coral holobiont）的影响开展了充分研究，但目前对珊瑚微生物组响应海洋脱氧的效应仍缺乏深入认知。为进一步探究该问题，我们对巴拿马阿尔米兰特湾（Bahia Almirante）的珊瑚礁展开了调查——该区域此前曾发生过低溶解氧浓度事件。本研究采用16S rRNA基因分析技术，对珊瑚微生物组进行表征，以明确不同历史低氧暴露背景下珊瑚微生物组的差异。群落结构的差异可通过代谢通路、养分循环乃至病原菌抗性的变异，赋予珊瑚共生体低氧胁迫抗性。本研究将填补当前在解析珊瑚微生物组响应海洋低氧作用机制方面的认知空白。