Microbial survey of the seawater surrounding different Caribbean coral species. coral reef metagenome

This field-based study was designed to understand how different Caribbean scleractinian coral species impact the microbial diversity and composition of the seawater immediately surrounding each colony. The results of this investigation highlight the heterogeneity of the reef microbial landscape and the potential importance of microbial interactions that take place between the surface of corals and the water column directly adjacent to corals for reef biogeochemical cycling and pathogen/symbiont recruitment to corals.