Algal Endosymbiont Diversity in the Common Reef-Building Coral Goniastrea Retiformis Ten Years after Experimental Bleaching

Location

Old Dominion University, Learning Commons at Perry Library, West Foyer

Start Date

4-8-2017 8:30 AM

End Date

4-8-2017 10:00 AM

Description

Ofu Island in American Samoa hosts a diverse assemblage of corals in contrasting thermal regimes. In March 2006, twenty colonies of Goniastraea retiformis from a shallow, thermally variable back reef, and twenty from a deeper, more stable forereef were experimentally bleached and reciprocally transplanted to determine how the diversity of coral algal endosymbionts (Symbiodinium) recovered with time post-bleaching. These populations of G. retiformis host contrasting clades of Symbiodinium, with the forereef and back reef populations largely comprised of clade D and clade C phylotypes respectively. Over a decade later, in July of 2016, 95% of transplants were still surviving at the back reef site and 65% survival at the forereef site. Colonies were re-sampled, DNA was extracted, and PCR used to investigate the clade of Symbiodinium within each coral sample at the internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) region of nuclear ribosomal DNA. Sequence data and analysis will be presented.

Presentation Type

Poster

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Apr 8th, 8:30 AM Apr 8th, 10:00 AM

Algal Endosymbiont Diversity in the Common Reef-Building Coral Goniastrea Retiformis Ten Years after Experimental Bleaching

Old Dominion University, Learning Commons at Perry Library, West Foyer

Ofu Island in American Samoa hosts a diverse assemblage of corals in contrasting thermal regimes. In March 2006, twenty colonies of Goniastraea retiformis from a shallow, thermally variable back reef, and twenty from a deeper, more stable forereef were experimentally bleached and reciprocally transplanted to determine how the diversity of coral algal endosymbionts (Symbiodinium) recovered with time post-bleaching. These populations of G. retiformis host contrasting clades of Symbiodinium, with the forereef and back reef populations largely comprised of clade D and clade C phylotypes respectively. Over a decade later, in July of 2016, 95% of transplants were still surviving at the back reef site and 65% survival at the forereef site. Colonies were re-sampled, DNA was extracted, and PCR used to investigate the clade of Symbiodinium within each coral sample at the internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) region of nuclear ribosomal DNA. Sequence data and analysis will be presented.