Diversity, distribution, and temporal stability of coral 'zooxanthellae' on a Pacific reef evaluated with samples collected in Palau from 2013 to 2022

This data set provides information about the long-term composition of symbiont populations within individual coral colonies. Diverse coral taxa (Scleractinia) from a West Indo-Pacific fore reef (Palau) were tagged and sampled at various intervals--ranging from six months to several years--over nine years' time. Symbiont identity was examined using multiple genetic markers that resolved symbiont diversity to species and individual genotypes (i.e. clonal strains). Consistent with previous colony monitoring studies, symbiont populations in a majority of colonies were dominated by one species and one strain (based on multi-locus genotyping) over multiple years. Thus, the distribution of symbiont diversity at the genus, species and clone level, comprising specific and stable partner combinations, scale predictably to reef habitat, host taxon, and individual colony.