Bacterial Associates of Corals: 16s sequences collected in the northern Gulf of Mexico, 2010-10-22 to 2014-07-01

This dataset contains molecular data on bacterial associates of corals (Antipatharia, Scleractinia, Gorgonians) including 16s tag sequencing from the northern Gulf of Mexico. With this data, we first address the question of whether Leiopathes glaberrima contains a stable and characteristic microbiome, and compare this with the microbes found in sediment and water samples from their habitat. Next, we ask whether the microbiome population differs across space and/or among color morphotypes. Community composition is measured as the relative abundances of bacterial Operational Taxonomic Unit (OTUs) in each sample.