Bacterial assemblages associated with the hermatypic corals Pocillopora damicornis and P. verrucosa, the surrounding seawater and the sediment at six coral reef sites in the north section of the Tropical Eastern Pacific were assessed using MiSeq Illumina sequencing of the V4 region of the 16S rDNA. The bacterial microbiota in both coral species, seawater and sediment were stable to seasonal variations. Bacterial assemblages between the same substrates were not significantly different from each other in the six sites sampled. Interestingly, the bacterial composition between substrates within the same site was significantly different, or not, depending on the conservation status of the site. Moreover, we found species-specific bacterial OTUs in both coral species. Analyzing the relationship between bacterial composition and environmental variables revealed a positive correlation between bacterial assemblages and dissolved oxygen, ammonium and silicate.
Summary:The Mexican Central Pacific is located in a zone of oceanographic transition between two biogeographic provinces with particular conditions that affect the associated fauna. The objective of this study was to evaluate the variation of hermatypic coral assemblages in this region and to determine their relationship with the heterogeneity of the benthonic habitat and spatial variables. A total of 156 transects were carried out at 41 sites in the years 2010 and 2011. The sampling effort returned 96.7% of the coral richness expected for the area, with a total of 15 species recorded. The results showed that richness, diversity and cover of corals varied only at the site and state scales. However, the composition and coverage of all coral species, as well as the benthonic habitat structure, differed significantly across the study scales (i.e. sites, zones and states). Canonical redundancy analysis showed that variation in the richness, diversity and assemblages of corals was explained by the cover of live corals, articulated calcareous algae, sandy substrate, sponges and fleshy macroalgae. This study suggests that local scale (i.e. site) variation in the coral assemblages of the Mexican Central Pacific is the result of the heterogeneity of the benthonic habitat, while geomorphological and oceanographic characteristics play a greater role at regional scale.Keywords: hermatypic coral assemblages; spatial variation; community ecology; Mexican Central Pacific; benthonic habitat structure Análisis multiescala de las comunidades de coral hermatípico del Pacífico Central MexicanoResumen: El Pacífico Central Mexicano se localiza en una zona de transición oceanográfica entre dos provincias biogeográ-ficas con condiciones ambientales particulares que afectan la fauna asociada. El objetivo del estudio fue evaluar la variación de las comunidades de coral hermatípico de esta región y determinar su relación con la heterogeneidad del hábitat bentónico y variables espaciales. Se realizaron 156 transectos en 41 sitios en los años 2010 y 2011. El esfuerzo de muestreo representó el 96.7% de la riqueza de coral esperada para el área, con un total de 15 especies registradas. Los resultados mostraron que la riqueza, diversidad y cobertura de corales variaron sólo en las escalas de sitio y de estado. En cambio, la composición y cobertura de todas las especies de coral, así como la estructura del hábitat bentónico, fueron significativamente diferentes en todas las escalas estudiadas (i.e. sitio, zona y estado). Los análisis de redundancia canónica mostraron que la variación de la riqueza, diversidad y de las comunidades de corales eran explicadas por la cobertura de coral vivo, algas calcáreas articuladas, sustrato arenoso, esponjas y macroalgas carnosas. Este trabajo sugiere que la variación de las comunidades de coral en el Pacífico Central Mexicano a escala local (i.e. sitio) se debe a la heterogeneidad del hábitat bentónico, mientras que a escala regional, las características geomorfológicas y oceanográficas desempeñan un papel má...
Identifying the core microbiome structure of a metaorganism can be used to monitor the impact of a perturbation against it and the changes in its stability (i.e., dysbiosis), resistance, and resilience. The core‐microbiome interaction regulates holobiont health and homeostasis and is an indicator of the resilience of the whole community. This study determined the exclusive and shared core microbiome taxa of two reef‐building coral species (Pocillopora damicornis and P. verrucosa), as well as the surrounding seawater and sediment, in six coral communities along the Northeastern tropical Pacific region. We also analysed the putative metabolic functions of the most abundant OTUs of these core microbiomes and evaluated the influence of anthropogenic stressors (i.e., tourism, fishery, eutrophication, among others) on core microbiome composition. Bacterial diversity was assessed by sequencing the V4 region of the 16S rRNA. The bacterial families Planctomycetaceae, Oceanospirillaceae, and Moraxellaceae presented the highest relative abundances in corals samples, while Flavobacteriaceae and Rhodobacteraceae dominated in seawater samples. In the sediment samples, Pseudoalteromonadaceae, Oxalobacteraceae, Moraxellaceae, and Pseudonocardiaceae had the highest representation. The core microbiomes of the two coral species, seawater, and sediment, shared 571 OTUs. The P. damicornis core microbiome varied between sites with low and moderately‐high anthropogenic stressors. The core microbiomes of both coral species showed an increase in the relative abundance of the families Planctomycetaceae and Pseudomonadaceae in the sites with moderate‐high anthropogenic stressors, associated with higher values of ammonium, chlorophyll a, and extinction coefficient. In contrast, the core microbiome of P. verrucosa, seawater, and sediments did not vary between sites with different anthropogenic stress conditions. Aerobic chemoheterotrophy was the metabolic function with the highest occurrence in all substrates' core microbiomes, followed by ureolysis and photoautotrophy.
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