Diacarnus erythraeanus microbiome response to elevated temperature

Climate change is predicted to have detrimental impacts on sessile invertebrates, including sponges, which cannot change their location or environment. Among the various physiological implications, elevated temperature could sever a sponge's association with its microorganisms, which may subsequently lead to sponge mortality. Mesophotic coral ecosystems have been suggested to play a major role as refugia for coral species that are unable to tolerate the changing conditions in the shallow waters. In this study we examined the response of the sponge-holobiont Diacarnus erythraeanus, a widespread Red Sea sponge, to elevated temperature from the shallow and mesophotic reef.