Functional Reorganization and Taxonomic Shifts in the Symbiotic Microbiota of the Temperate Soft Coral Eleutherobia rubra Under Heat Stress

This dataset was generated during an investigation into the thermal stress response of the temperate soft coral Eleutherobia rubra, focusing on taxonomic and functional profiling of its symbiotic microbiota. Using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and PICRUSt2-based functional prediction, we show that short-term exposure to elevated temperature induces marked changes in microbial functional potential before compositional shifts are observed. These findings highlight the early and sensitive role of microbial functions in coral stress adaptation. Although most studies of coral microbiomes under climate change focus on tropical reef-building corals, this study expands current understanding by examining an azooxanthellate octocoral from a temperate ecosystem.