Data from: Transcriptomic plasticity of mesophotic corals among natural populations and transplants of Montastraea cavernosa in the Gulf of Mexico and Belize

While physiological responses to low-light environments have been studied
among corals on mesophotic coral ecosystems worldwide (MCEs; 30–150 m),
the mechanisms behind acclimatization and adaptation to depth are not well
understood for most coral species. Transcriptomic approaches based on RNA
sequencing are useful tools for quantifying gene expression plasticity,
particularly in slow-growing species such as scleractinian corals, and for
identifying potential functional differences among conspecifics. A
tag-based RNA-Seq (Tag-Seq) pipeline was applied to quantify
transcriptional variation in natural populations of the scleractinian
coral Montastraea cavernosa from mesophotic and
shallower environments across five sites in Belize and the Gulf of Mexico:
Carrie Bow Cay, West and East Flower Garden Banks, Pulley Ridge, and Dry
Tortugas. Regional site location was a stronger driver of gene expression
patterns than depth. However, mesophotic corals among all sites shared
similar regulation of metabolic and cell growth functional pathways that
may represent common physiological responses to environmental conditions
at depth. Additionally, in a transplant experiment at West and East Flower
Garden Banks, colonies transplanted from mesophotic to shallower habitats
diverged from the control mesophotic group over time, indicating
depth-regulated plasticity of gene expression. When the shallower depth
zone experienced a bleaching event, bleaching severity did not differ
significantly between transplants and shallow controls, but gene
expression patterns indicated variable regulation of stress responses
among depth treatments. Coupled observational and experimental studies of
gene expression among mesophotic and shallower M.
cavernosa provide insights into the ability of this
depth-generalist coral species to persist under varying environmental
conditions.