Open AccessBacteria associated with skeletal tissue growth anomalies in the coral P latygyra carnosus
Author(s) -
Chiu Jill M.Y.,
Li Sam,
Li Amy,
Po Beverly,
Zhang Rui,
Shin Paul K.S.,
Qiu JianWen
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
fems microbiology ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.377
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1574-6941
pISSN - 0168-6496
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6941.2011.01225.x
Subject(s) - biology , coral , terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism , ecology , community structure , alphaproteobacteria , zoology , restriction fragment length polymorphism , 16s ribosomal rna , bacteria , gene , genetics , genotype
Scleractinian corals with growth anomalies, often referred to as ‘tumors’, have been reported globally. A recent survey of H ong K ong waters showed that > 60% of P latygyra carnosus colonies developed tumors. Here we report for the first time, the bacterial community associated with tumors in P . carnosus over different seasons and locations in H oi H a W an M arine P ark and P ort S helter. Culture‐based methods for strain isolation and molecular techniques of 16 S rRNA analysis for strain identification were used, as well as the culture‐independent technique terminal‐restriction fragment length polymorphism. We tested the hypothesis that the community composition would be considerably different between healthy and tumor corals and aimed to investigate whether potential differences because of tumors would override the seasonal and spatial influences. Our analysis detected only minor differences between the communities associated with the healthy and tumor corals, indicating that tumors are not associated with major changes in the bacterial community structure. In contrast, community structure was strongly influenced by the location and season, with greater A lphaproteobacteria diversity in the winter than in the summer. This study demonstrated that the coral‐associated bacterial community composition was more related to environmental variables (i.e. season and location) than to disease (i.e. tumor).