Novel algal symbiont (Symbiodinium spp.) diversity in reef corals of Western Australia

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 422:63-75 (2011) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps08934 Novel algal symbiont (Symbiodinium spp.) diversity in reef corals of Western Australia Rachel N. Silverstein1,4,*, Adrienne M. S. Correa1,5, Todd C. LaJeunesse2, Andrew C. Baker1,3,4 1Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, MC 5557, 1200 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, New York 10027, USA 2Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, 221 Mueller Laboratory, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA 3Wildlife Conservation Society, International Conservation - Marine Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York 10460, USA 4Present address: Division of Marine Biology and Fisheries, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, Florida 33149, USA 5Present address: Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, 3000 NE 151st St., North Miami, Florida 33181, USA *Email: rsilverstein@rsmas.miami.edu ABSTRACT: The identity and diversity of algal symbionts (Symbiodinium spp.) in reef corals is thought to influence to the resilience of reef ecosystems to climate change, and varies depending on coral species, environmental conditions, and biogeography. We examined these factors by surveying corals along a latitudinal gradient in Western Australia on reefs connected north to south by the warm-water Leeuwin Current. We used the internal transcribed spacer-2 (ITS-2) region of ribosomal DNA to characterize Symbiodinium communities in 19 species of reef coral (in 16 genera) from tropical Dampier (20.5°S) to temperate Dunsborough (33.5°S). We documented a high number of novel ITS-2 types in Symbiodinium clades B (1 type) and C (14 types) as well as 7 previously reported ITS-2 types in clades B, C, and D. In addition, we compared symbiont distributions with Giovanni's OBIG MODIS-Aqua satellite temperature data set and found that the putatively thermotolerant Symbiodinium ITS-2 type D1a was more frequently detected in 'chronically warm' tropical sites than at 'chronically cool' temperate sites, while clade B symbiont types showed the reverse pattern, being found in certain corals at the southernmost sites. Symbiodinium type D1a was generally most abundant at Dampier, where bleaching had occurred 1 mo prior to sampling, although some variation by host taxa was observed. The diverse and novel Symbiodinium communities documented here may be a result of (1) the variable environmental histories of the study sites, (2) the apparent genetic divergence within this genus resulting from the relative isolation of Western Australian reefs, and/or (3) the frequent transport of symbionts (in hospite or free-living) from Indo-Malay reefs to Western Australia via the Leeuwin Current. These results indicate that understudied reefs in remote and isolated areas may contain Symbiodinium diversity that has not been reported previously. KEY WORDS: Corals · Scleractinia · Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis · DGGE · Internal transcribed spacer-2 region · ITS-2 · Latitudinal gradient · Symbiodinium · Western Australia · Reefs Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Silverstein RN, Correa AMS, LaJeunesse TC, Baker AC (2011) Novel algal symbiont (Symbiodinium spp.) diversity in reef corals of Western Australia. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 422:63-75. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps08934 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 422. Online publication date: January 31, 2011 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2011 Inter-Research.