1
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Friis G, Smith EG, Lovelock CE, Ortega A, Marshell A, Duarte CM, Burt JA. Rapid diversification of grey mangroves (Avicennia marina) driven by geographic isolation and extreme environmental conditions in the Arabian Peninsula. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17260. [PMID: 38197286 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Biological systems occurring in ecologically heterogeneous and spatially discontinuous habitats provide an ideal opportunity to investigate the relative roles of neutral and selective factors in driving lineage diversification. The grey mangroves (Avicennia marina) of Arabia occur at the northern edge of the species' range and are subject to variable, often extreme, environmental conditions, as well as historic large fluctuations in habitat availability and connectivity resulting from Quaternary glacial cycles. Here, we analyse fully sequenced genomes sampled from 19 locations across the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea and the Persian/Arabian Gulf (PAG) to reconstruct the evolutionary history of the species in the region and to identify adaptive mechanisms of lineage diversification. Population structure and phylogenetic analyses revealed marked genetic structure correlating with geographic distance and highly supported clades among and within the seas surrounding the Arabian Peninsula. Demographic modelling showed times of divergence consistent with recent periods of geographic isolation and low marine connectivity during glaciations, suggesting the presence of (cryptic) glacial refugia in the Red Sea and the PAG. Significant migration was detected within the Red Sea and the PAG, and across the Strait of Hormuz to the Arabian Sea, suggesting gene flow upon secondary contact among populations. Genetic-environment association analyses revealed high levels of adaptive divergence and detected signs of multi-loci local adaptation driven by temperature extremes and hypersalinity. These results support a process of rapid diversification resulting from the combined effects of historical factors and ecological selection and reveal mangrove peripheral environments as relevant drivers of lineage diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Friis
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology (CGSB) and Mubadala ACCESS Center, New York University - Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Edward G Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
| | - Catherine E Lovelock
- School of Environment, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Alejandra Ortega
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC) and Computational Bioscience Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Alyssa Marshell
- Department of Marine Science and Fisheries, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Carlos M Duarte
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC) and Computational Bioscience Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - John A Burt
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology (CGSB) and Mubadala ACCESS Center, New York University - Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
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2
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Smith EG, Hazzouri KM, Choi JY, Delaney P, Al-Kharafi M, Howells EJ, Aranda M, Burt JA. Signatures of selection underpinning rapid coral adaptation to the world's warmest reefs. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabl7287. [PMID: 35020424 PMCID: PMC10954036 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abl7287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Coral populations in the world’s warmest reefs, the Persian/Arabian Gulf (PAG), represent an ideal model system to understand the evolutionary response of coral populations to past and present environmental change and to identify genomic loci that contribute to elevated thermal tolerance. Here, we use population genomics of the brain coral Platygyra daedalea to show that corals in the PAG represent a distinct subpopulation that was established during the Holocene marine transgression, and identify selective sweeps in their genomes associated with thermal adaptation. We demonstrate the presence of positive and disruptive selection and provide evidence for selection of differentially methylated haplotypes. While demographic analyses suggest limited potential for genetic rescue of neighboring Indian Ocean reefs, the presence of putative targets of selection in corals outside of the PAG offers hope that loci associated with thermal tolerance may be present in the standing genetic variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward G. Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA
- Water Research Center & Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE
| | - Khaled M. Hazzouri
- Water Research Center & Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE
- Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, United Arab Emirates University, Abu Dhabi, UAE
| | - Jae Young Choi
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Patrice Delaney
- Water Research Center & Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE
| | - Mohammed Al-Kharafi
- Department of Fisheries Resource Development, Public Authority of Agriculture and Fisheries Resources, Kuwait City, Kuwait
| | - Emily J. Howells
- Water Research Center & Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE
- National Marine Science Centre, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia
| | - Manuel Aranda
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - John A. Burt
- Water Research Center & Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE
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3
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Rossbach S, Hume BCC, Cárdenas A, Perna G, Voolstra CR, Duarte CM. Flexibility in Red Sea Tridacna maxima-Symbiodiniaceae associations supports environmental niche adaptation. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:3393-3406. [PMID: 33841792 PMCID: PMC8019035 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Giant clams (Tridacninae) are important members of Indo-Pacific coral reefs and among the few bivalve groups that live in symbiosis with unicellular algae (Symbiodiniaceae). Despite the importance of these endosymbiotic dinoflagellates for clam ecology, the diversity and specificity of these associations remain relatively poorly studied, especially in the Red Sea. Here, we used the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) rDNA gene region to investigate Symbiodiniaceae communities associated with Red Sea Tridacna maxima clams. We sampled five sites spanning 1,300 km (10° of latitude, from the Gulf of Aqaba, 29°N, to the Farasan Banks, 18°N) along the Red Sea's North-South environmental gradient. We detected a diverse and structured assembly of host-associated algae with communities demonstrating region and site-specificity. Specimens from the Gulf of Aqaba harbored three genera of Symbiodiniaceae, Cladocopium, Durusdinium, and Symbiodinium, while at all other sites clams associated exclusively with algae from the Symbiodinium genus. Of these exclusively Symbiodinium-associating sites, the more northern (27° and 22°) and more southern sites (20° and 18°) formed two separate groupings despite site-specific algal genotypes being resolved at each site. These groupings were congruent with the genetic break seen across multiple marine taxa in the Red Sea at approximately 19°, and along with our documented site-specificity of algal communities, contrasted the panmictic distribution of the T. maxima host. As such, our findings indicate flexibility in T. maxima-Symbiodiniaceae associations that may explain its relatively high environmental plasticity and offers a mechanism for environmental niche adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susann Rossbach
- Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering DivisionRed Sea Research Center (RSRC) and Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC)King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)ThuwalSaudi Arabia
| | - Benjamin C. C. Hume
- Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering DivisionRed Sea Research Center (RSRC)King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)ThuwalSaudi Arabia
- Department of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
| | - Anny Cárdenas
- Department of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
| | - Gabriela Perna
- Department of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
| | - Christian R. Voolstra
- Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering DivisionRed Sea Research Center (RSRC)King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)ThuwalSaudi Arabia
- Department of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
| | - Carlos M. Duarte
- Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering DivisionRed Sea Research Center (RSRC) and Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC)King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)ThuwalSaudi Arabia
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4
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Alidoost Salimi P, Ghavam Mostafavi P, Chen CA, Pichon M, Alidoost Salimi M. Molecular phylogeny of some coral species from the Persian Gulf. Mol Biol Rep 2021; 48:2993-2999. [PMID: 33675466 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-021-06251-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
As evolutionary relationships among some coral species still remain unclear, studies on unstudied area such as the Persian Gulf (PG), as part of the western Indo-Pacific, may reveal a better understanding of phylogenetic positions and relationships of corals. In the present study, the phylogenetic relationships of eight common coral species (Favites pentagona, Platygyra daedalea, Cyphastrea microphthalma, Siderastrea savignyana, Pavona decussata, Pavona cactus, Goniopora columna, and Goniopora djiboutiensis) collected from two Iranian Islands were compared with the congeneric sequences from the Indo-Pacific (IP) using rDNA region. The result shows that some coral species which were hitherto considered as representatives of widespread species from IP are related to distinct lineages. Further, it appears that morphological convergence between the taxa leads to an underestimation of the real coral species diversity in the PG. The current study is the first attempt to investigate the phylogenetic position of coral species from the PG in comparison to their counterparts from the IP. As conservation planning hinges on the identification of species, taxonomic revisions have to be undertaken in order to obtain a more reliable picture of coral species diversity in the PG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parisa Alidoost Salimi
- Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Pargol Ghavam Mostafavi
- Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Chaolun Allen Chen
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Nangang, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Michel Pichon
- Biodiversity and Geosciences, Queensland Museum, Townsville, QLD, 4810, Australia
| | - Mahsa Alidoost Salimi
- Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
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5
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Dynamic symbioses reveal pathways to coral survival through prolonged heatwaves. Nat Commun 2020; 11:6097. [PMID: 33293528 PMCID: PMC7723047 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19169-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Prospects for coral persistence through increasingly frequent and extended heatwaves seem bleak. Coral recovery from bleaching is only known to occur after temperatures return to normal, and mitigation of local stressors does not appear to augment coral survival. Capitalizing on a natural experiment in the equatorial Pacific, we track individual coral colonies at sites spanning a gradient of local anthropogenic disturbance through a tropical heatwave of unprecedented duration. Unexpectedly, some corals survived the event by recovering from bleaching while still at elevated temperatures. These corals initially had heat-sensitive algal symbiont communities, endured bleaching, and then recovered through proliferation of heat-tolerant symbionts. This pathway to survival only occurred in the absence of strong local stressors. In contrast, corals in highly disturbed areas were already dominated by heat-tolerant symbionts, and despite initially resisting bleaching, these corals had no survival advantage in one species and 3.3 times lower survival in the other. These unanticipated connections between disturbance, coral symbioses and heat stress resilience reveal multiple pathways to coral survival through future prolonged heatwaves.
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6
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Alekseeva E, Doebeli M, Ispolatov I. Evolutionary adaptation of high-diversity communities to changing environments. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:11941-11953. [PMID: 33209261 PMCID: PMC7663975 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Revised: 07/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
We use adaptive dynamics models to study how changes in the abiotic environment affect patterns of evolutionary dynamics and diversity in evolving communities of organisms with complex phenotypes. The models are based on the logistic competition model, and environmental changes are implemented as a temporal change of the carrying capacity as a function of phenotype. In general, we observe that environmental changes cause a reduction in the number of species, in total population size, and in phenotypic diversity. The rate of environmental change is crucial for determining whether a community survives or undergoes extinction. Until some critical rate of environmental changes, species are able to follow evolutionarily the shifting phenotypic optimum of the carrying capacity, and many communities adapt to the changing conditions and converge to new stationary states. When environmental changes stop, such communities gradually restore their initial phenotypic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael Doebeli
- University of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
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7
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Ketchum RN, Smith EG, DeBiasse MB, Vaughan GO, McParland D, Leach WB, Al-Mansoori N, Ryan JF, Burt JA, Reitzel AM. Population Genomic Analyses of the Sea Urchin Echinometra sp. EZ across an Extreme Environmental Gradient. Genome Biol Evol 2020; 12:1819-1829. [PMID: 32697837 PMCID: PMC7594579 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Extreme environmental gradients represent excellent study systems to better understand the variables that mediate patterns of genomic variation between populations. They also allow for more accurate predictions of how future environmental change might affect marine species. The Persian/Arabian Gulf is extreme in both temperature and salinity, whereas the adjacent Gulf of Oman has conditions more typical of tropical oceans. The sea urchin Echinometra sp. EZ inhabits both of these seas and plays a critical role in coral reef health as a grazer and bioeroder, but, to date, there have been no population genomic studies on this or any urchin species in this unique region. E sp. EZ's life history traits (e.g., large population sizes, large reproductive clutches, and long life spans), in theory, should homogenize populations unless nonneutral processes are occurring. Here, we generated a draft genome and a restriction site-associated DNA sequencing data set from seven populations along an environmental gradient across the Persian/Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The estimated genome size of E. sp. EZ was 609 Mb and the heterozygosity was among the highest recorded for an echinoderm at 4.5%. We recovered 918 high-quality SNPs from 85 individuals which we then used in downstream analyses. Population structure analyses revealed a high degree of admixture between all sites, although there was population differentiation and significant pairwise FST values between the two seas. Preliminary results suggest migration is bidirectional between the seas and nine candidate loci were identified as being under putative natural selection, including one collagen gene. This study is the first to investigate the population genomics of a sea urchin from this extreme environmental gradient and is an important contribution to our understanding of the complex spatial patterns that drive genomic divergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Remi N Ketchum
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
| | - Edward G Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
| | - Melissa B DeBiasse
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St. Augustine
| | - Grace O Vaughan
- Marine Biology Laboratory, Centre for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE
| | - Dain McParland
- Marine Biology Laboratory, Centre for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE
| | - Whitney B Leach
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
| | - Noura Al-Mansoori
- Marine Biology Laboratory, Centre for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE
| | - Joseph F Ryan
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St. Augustine
| | - John A Burt
- Marine Biology Laboratory, Centre for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE
| | - Adam M Reitzel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
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8
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Claar DC, Tietjen KL, Cox KD, Gates RD, Baum JK. Chronic disturbance modulates symbiont (Symbiodiniaceae) beta diversity on a coral reef. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4492. [PMID: 32161299 PMCID: PMC7066189 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-60929-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic disturbance can disrupt ecological interactions including the foundational symbiosis between reef-building corals and the dinoflagellate family Symbiodiniaceae. Symbiodiniaceae are photosynthetic endosymbionts necessary for coral survival, but many Symbiodiniaceae can also be found free-living in the environment. Since most coral species acquire new Symbiodiniaceae from the environment each generation, free-living Symbiodiniaceae represent important pools for coral symbiont acquisition. Yet, little is known about the diversity of, or impacts of disturbance on, free-living Symbiodiniaceae. To determine how chronic and pulse disturbances influence Symbiodiniaceae communities, we sampled three reef habitat compartments - sediment, water, and coral (Pocillopora grandis, Montipora aequituberculata, Porites lobata) - at sites exposed to different levels of chronic anthropogenic disturbance, before, during, and after a major storm. Almost no (4%) Symbiodiniaceae amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) were found in all three compartments, and over half were found uniquely in coral. Sites experiencing chronic disturbance were typically associated with higher symbiont beta diversity (i.e., variability and turnover) across reef habitat compartments. Pulse stress, from the storm, exhibited some influence on symbiont beta diversity but the effect was inconsistent. This suggests that in this ecosystem, the effects of chronic disturbance are more prominent than temporal variability during a pulse disturbance for shaping symbiont communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle C Claar
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, V8W 2Y2, Canada. .,University of Washington, School of Aquatic and Fisheries Science, 1122 NE Boat St, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA.
| | - Kristina L Tietjen
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, V8W 2Y2, Canada
| | - Kieran D Cox
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, V8W 2Y2, Canada.,Hakai Institute, Calvert Island, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Ruth D Gates
- Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, Kaneohe, HI, 96744, USA
| | - Julia K Baum
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, V8W 2Y2, Canada. .,Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, Kaneohe, HI, 96744, USA.
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9
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Cowburn B, Samoilys MA, Osuka K, Klaus R, Newman C, Gudka M, Obura D. Healthy and diverse coral reefs in Djibouti - A resilient reef system or few anthropogenic threats? MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2019; 148:182-193. [PMID: 31430705 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.07.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Revised: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Djiboutian coral reefs are poorly studied, but are of critical importance to tourism and artisanal fishing in this small developing nation. In 2014 and 2016 we carried out the most comprehensive survey of Djiboutian reefs to date, and present data on their ecology, health and estimate their vulnerability to future coral bleaching and anthropogenic impacts. Reef type varied from complex reef formations exposed to wind and waves along the Gulf of Aden, to narrow fringing reefs adjacent to the deep sheltered waters of the Gulf of Tadjoura. Evidence suggests that in the past 35 years the reefs have not previously experienced severe coral bleaching or significant human impacts, with many reefs having healthy and diverse coral and fish populations. Mean coral cover was high (52%) and fish assemblages were dominated by fishery target species and herbivores. However, rising sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and rapid recent coastal development activities in Djibouti are likely future threats to these relatively untouched reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Cowburn
- CORDIO East Africa, 9 Kibaki Flats, Kenyatta Beach, Bamburi Beach, P.O.BOX 10135, Mombasa 80101, Kenya; Cousteau Society, 40 rue des Renaudes, 75017 Paris, France.
| | - M A Samoilys
- CORDIO East Africa, 9 Kibaki Flats, Kenyatta Beach, Bamburi Beach, P.O.BOX 10135, Mombasa 80101, Kenya
| | - K Osuka
- CORDIO East Africa, 9 Kibaki Flats, Kenyatta Beach, Bamburi Beach, P.O.BOX 10135, Mombasa 80101, Kenya
| | - R Klaus
- Cousteau Society, 40 rue des Renaudes, 75017 Paris, France; Senckenberg Research Institute and Museum of Nature Frankfurt, Marine Zoology / Ichthyology, Senckenberganlage 25, D-60325 Frankfurt a.M., Germany
| | - C Newman
- Cousteau Society, 40 rue des Renaudes, 75017 Paris, France
| | - M Gudka
- CORDIO East Africa, 9 Kibaki Flats, Kenyatta Beach, Bamburi Beach, P.O.BOX 10135, Mombasa 80101, Kenya
| | - D Obura
- CORDIO East Africa, 9 Kibaki Flats, Kenyatta Beach, Bamburi Beach, P.O.BOX 10135, Mombasa 80101, Kenya
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10
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Hume BCC, Smith EG, Ziegler M, Warrington HJM, Burt JA, LaJeunesse TC, Wiedenmann J, Voolstra CR. SymPortal: A novel analytical framework and platform for coral algal symbiont next-generation sequencing ITS2 profiling. Mol Ecol Resour 2019; 19:1063-1080. [PMID: 30740899 PMCID: PMC6618109 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2018] [Revised: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
We present SymPortal (SymPortal.org), a novel analytical framework and platform for genetically resolving the algal symbionts of reef corals using next‐generation sequencing (NGS) data of the ITS2 rDNA. Although the ITS2 marker is widely used to genetically characterize taxa within the family Symbiodiniaceae (formerly the genus Symbiodinium), the multicopy nature of the marker complicates its use. Commonly, the intragenomic diversity resultant from this multicopy nature is collapsed by analytical approaches, thereby focusing on only the most abundant sequences. In contrast, SymPortal employs logic to identify within‐sample informative intragenomic sequences, which we have termed ‘defining intragenomic variants' (DIVs), to identify ITS2‐type profiles representative of putative Symbiodiniaceae taxa. By making use of this intragenomic ITS2 diversity, SymPortal is able to resolve genetic delineations using the ITS2 marker at a level that was previously only possible by using additional genetic markers. We demonstrate this by comparing this novel approach to the most commonly used alternative approach for NGS ITS2 data, the 97% similarity clustering to operational taxonomic units (OTUs). The SymPortal platform accepts NGS raw sequencing data as input to provide an easy‐to‐use, standardization‐enforced, and community‐driven framework that integrates with a database to gain resolving power with increased use. We consider that SymPortal, in conjunction with ongoing large‐scale sampling and sequencing efforts, should play an instrumental role in making future sampling efforts more comparable and in maximizing their efficacy in working towards the classification of the global Symbiodiniaceae diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin C C Hume
- Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Edward G Smith
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE
| | - Maren Ziegler
- Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - John A Burt
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE
| | - Todd C LaJeunesse
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
| | - Joerg Wiedenmann
- Coral Reef Laboratory, Ocean and Earth Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.,Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Christian R Voolstra
- Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
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11
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Kirk NL, Howells EJ, Abrego D, Burt JA, Meyer E. Genomic and transcriptomic signals of thermal tolerance in heat‐tolerant corals (
Platygyra daedalea
) of the Arabian/Persian Gulf. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:5180-5194. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Revised: 10/13/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nathan L. Kirk
- Department of Integrative BiologyOregon State University Corvallis Oregon
| | - Emily J. Howells
- Center for Genomics and Systems BiologyNew York University Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi UAE
| | - David Abrego
- Department of Natural Science and Public HealthZayed University Abu Dhabi UAE
| | - John A. Burt
- Center for Genomics and Systems BiologyNew York University Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi UAE
| | - Eli Meyer
- Department of Integrative BiologyOregon State University Corvallis Oregon
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