MCR LTER: Coral Reef: Population Dynamics: Time-series of Symbiodinium populations in corals of Moorea

Coral are symbiotic with photosynthetic dinoflagellates from the genus
Symbiodinium. There are eight divergent clades (A-H) within the genus which each
contain many genetic varieties. Different types of Symbiodinium have been shown to
affect the growth rate and thermal tolerance of the coral. The diversity and
population structure of Symbiodinium on a reef and how it changes over time is
therefore critical to the stability and resilience of coral reefs. Our research
conducted through the MCR LTER project aims at defining the population structure of
Symbiodinium present in the corals of Moorea and documenting changes over
time.