Meeting Abstract

P3.42  Sunday, Jan. 6  How Bacteria and Genes Reflect the Health States of Corals CLOSEK, CJ*; SUNAGAWA, S; DESALVO, MK; PICENO, YM; DESANTIS, TZ; BRODIE, EL; VOOLSTRA, CR; ANDERSEN, GL; MEDINA, M; University of California, Merced; European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany; University of California, San Francisco; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; King Abdullah University of Science and Technology; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; University of California, Merced closek@gmail.com

Human population growth and environmental change have been noted to contribute to coral mortality and more recently disease events. In the Caribbean Sea, Yellow Band Disease (YBD) is widespread and affects several coral species including Montastraea spp., which are dominant reef building species in this region. Although the disease results in tissue loss, it is unclear how it affects the associated bacterial community structure and the coral-host. In this study, a dual approach of high-density 16S rRNA gene microarrays and host cDNA microarrays were used to characterize YBD. Relative bacterial diversity and abundances were compared to profile diseased colonies. In addition, cDNA microarrays were used to profile the coral transcriptomic response to YBD. Using these high-throughput approaches we aimed to 1) survey the coral-associated microbial community, 2) aid the discovery of novel bacteria, 3) identify disease-causing pathogen candidates, and 4) evaluate which genes are regulated in disease events. The results of this work refine our understanding of M. faveolata under varying health conditions and reveal the bacterial diversity associated with YBD. This study highlights response variables and key symbiotic associations that are disrupted during a disease event.