Impact of Saharan dust nutrient influx on Acropora cervicornis and Orbicella faveolata microbial communities in the FL Keys

The deposition of Saharan dust in the Caribbean has been suggested as one driver of Vibrio bloom formation in tropical waters. Saharan dust pulses also alter whole microbial communities from hours to days after dust deposition. Environmental stressors (including natural nutrient influx) affect microbial communities in the water column, and the extent to which such changes in the water column affect the coral microbiome is not well understood. Previous studies have found that exposure to environmental stressors result in shifts in microbial communities of corals that were detected prior to any physical sign of coral disease. In particular, the presence of Vibrio bacteria have often been associated with coral stress and/or disease. The objectives of this project include (1) to characterize the Acropora cervicornis and Orbicella faveolata. microbiome during Saharan dust exposure, and (2) to investigate whether or not Saharan dust promotes the growth of Vibrio bacteria in corals.