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<p>Coral-associated microbiomes play crucial roles in the resilience and adaptation of reef-building corals to environmental changes. While most research has focused on scleractinian corals, the microbiomes of octocorals remain largely unexplored, particularly in the Red Sea. Here, we characterise the bacterial and Symbiodiniaceae communities associated with two endemic species of the reef-building octocoral <i>Tubipora</i> in the central Saudi Arabian Red Sea. Using high-throughput sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene and the Symbiodiniaceae ITS2 region across 82 colonies and three reef sites ranging from 0 to 30&#xa0;m depth, we found that microbial assemblages were broadly similar between the two <i>Tubipora</i> species. Depth distribution exerted a significant influence on the composition of bacterial communities, while Symbiodiniaceae assemblages showed both species- and depth-specific patterns. Moreover, <i>Tubipora</i> hosted distinct bacterial assemblages compared to co-occurring scleractinian species in the same area. Our findings provide the first insights into the <i>Tubipora</i>-associated microbiome in shallow-water coral reefs of the Red Sea, establishing a baseline for understanding octocoral holobionts in the basin, and their potential adaptive strategies in response to climate change.</p>

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Characterising the symbiotic bacterial and algal communities associated with the hermatypic octocoral genus Tubipora in the central Saudi Arabian Red Sea

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月22日

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  • Laura Macrina,
  • Matteo Monti,
  • Tullia I Terraneo,
  • Chakkiath Paul Antony,
  • Carolina Bocanegra Castano,
  • Federica Barreca,
  • Marco Casartelli,
  • Catherine S McFadden,
  • Raquel S Peixoto,
  • Francesca Benzoni

摘要

Coral-associated microbiomes play crucial roles in the resilience and adaptation of reef-building corals to environmental changes. While most research has focused on scleractinian corals, the microbiomes of octocorals remain largely unexplored, particularly in the Red Sea. Here, we characterise the bacterial and Symbiodiniaceae communities associated with two endemic species of the reef-building octocoral Tubipora in the central Saudi Arabian Red Sea. Using high-throughput sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene and the Symbiodiniaceae ITS2 region across 82 colonies and three reef sites ranging from 0 to 30 m depth, we found that microbial assemblages were broadly similar between the two Tubipora species. Depth distribution exerted a significant influence on the composition of bacterial communities, while Symbiodiniaceae assemblages showed both species- and depth-specific patterns. Moreover, Tubipora hosted distinct bacterial assemblages compared to co-occurring scleractinian species in the same area. Our findings provide the first insights into the Tubipora-associated microbiome in shallow-water coral reefs of the Red Sea, establishing a baseline for understanding octocoral holobionts in the basin, and their potential adaptive strategies in response to climate change.