Spatial and temporal coral microbiome monitoring in Singapore

In this study, 16SrRNA amplicon sequencing was used to track the coral mucus microbiomes of Pectinia paeonia and Platygyra sinensis at three reef sites (Hantu, Kusu, and Raffles) in Singapore over seven sampling events from January 2019 to January 2020. Both coral species displayed spatial differentiation across the three reef sites. Temporal differences, particularly for P. sinensis, were also detected in microbiome composition, suggesting seasonality in the microbiome composition consistent with the monsoons. Seawater samples were also collected from each site, and displayed distinct temporal microbial compositions and site differentiation within sampling dates. The persistence of coral reefs within the port of Singapore highlights the adaptive ability of corals to respond to stressful environments, and this study provides further evidence that a flexible microbiome could be an important part of the strategy employed by corals to remain resilient.