16S rRNA gene tag pyrosequencing of coral associated bacteria in Red Sea

In this study, we adopted a recently developed 16S rRNA gene tag pyrosequencing technique to investigate the microbial communities associated with five coral species (three stony and two soft corals) from three locations in the Red Sea. Our results revealed the highest number of bacterial (more than 500) and archaeal (more than 400) ribotypes ever reported from a single coral species. The associated bacterial communities varied greatly with location, rather than with coral species type. Corals from disturbed areas appeared to share similar bacterial communities, yet stronger variations in community structure between different coral species from pristine water were observed. Largely unexplored and possibly novel archaeal communities were revealed in the Red Sea corals.