Temporal variation in the microbiome of tropical and temperate octocorals

We examined the diversity and structure of the bacterial component of soft coral microbiomes over summer and winter, with a focus on two temperate (Erythropodium hicksoni, Capnella gaboensis; Sydney Harbour) and two tropical (Sinularia sp., Sarcophyton sp.; Heron Island) species common to reefs in Eastern Australia. Bacterial communities associated with these soft coral species were also compared to common temperate (Plesiastrea versipora) and tropical (Acropora aspera) hard corals from the same reefs.

本研究针对夏冬两季软珊瑚微生物组的细菌组分多样性与群落结构开展系统调研，重点聚焦澳大利亚东部珊瑚礁的两类常见物种：两种温带软珊瑚（Erythropodium hicksoni、Capnella gaboensis，采集自悉尼港）与两种热带软珊瑚（Sinularia sp.、Sarcophyton sp.，采集自赫伦岛）。此外，本研究还将上述软珊瑚的细菌群落，与同一珊瑚礁区域的常见温带石珊瑚（Plesiastrea versipora）及热带石珊瑚（Acropora aspera）的细菌群落进行了对照比较。