Symbiodiniaceae ITS2 amplicon sequencing of Pocillopora spp. coral host in varying nutrient environments, Mo'orea, French Polynesia

Excess nutrient enrichment can make corals more vulnerable to climate change by suppressing calcification and reducing photosynthetic performance. Yet, nutrient-enriched responses can be variable where some reef environments with nutrient inputs have exhibited higher coral growth rates and coral thermal performance. To investigate the effects of nutrient enrichment on coral holobionts, we sampled Pocillopora spp. colonies next to and ~ 20m away from a nutrient-enriched reef environment in Mo'orea, French Polynesia and applied ITS2 amplicon sequencing to identify the Symbiodiniaceae in the samples.