Genomes and full-length 16S reference sequences for 27 Alpha- and Gamma-Proteobacterial isolates from Red Sea Acropora corals

Coral-associated bacteria contribute to the biology of their host, but the underlying molecular interactions are largely unknown. To further our functional understanding, we obtained 27 alpha- and gamma-proteobacterial isolates, many of which are Rhodobacteraceae, from three coral species of the genus Acropora and assembled/annotated their genomes as a resource for further functional studies. Our results reveal the immense taxonomic and genetic diversity of common alpha- and gamma-proteobacterial coral-associated bacteria. We hope these data provide a framework to study the function of specific bacteria in the coral holobiont. Isolates are available upon request.