Data from: Microbial invasion of the Caribbean by an Indo-Pacific coral zooxanthella
Data files
May 15, 2016 version files 427.53 KB
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PWD analysis S.trenchii Caribbean.R
7.34 KB
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PWD analysis S.trenchii Palau.R
7.34 KB
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PWD analysis S.trenchii Thailand.R
7.34 KB
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PWD analysis Sym. A3 East Carib.R
3.11 KB
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PWD analysis Sym. B7 Caribbeanwide.R
3.12 KB
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PWD analysis Sym. C7 Belize.R
3.11 KB
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PWD analysis Sym. D1 Gulf of California.R
3.11 KB
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README_for_PWD analysis S.trenchii Caribbean.docx
47.20 KB
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README_for_PWD analysis S.trenchii Palau.docx
47.20 KB
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README_for_PWD analysis S.trenchii Thailand.docx
47.20 KB
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README_for_PWD analysis Sym. A3 East Carib.docx
47.20 KB
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README_for_PWD analysis Sym. B7 Caribbeanwide.docx
47.20 KB
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README_for_PWD analysis Sym. C7 Belize.docx
47.20 KB
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README_for_PWD analysis Sym. D1 Gulf of California.docx
47.20 KB
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Symbiodinium trenchii Caribbean.csv
11.99 KB
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Symbiodinium trenchii Palau.csv
8.15 KB
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Symbiodinium trenchii Thailand.csv
6.19 KB
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Symbiodinium type A3_East Carib.csv
26.70 KB
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Symbiodinium type B7 Caribbean.csv
1.70 KB
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Symbiodinium type C7 Belize.csv
2.62 KB
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Symbiodinium type D1 gulf of california.csv
5.34 KB
Abstract
Human-induced environmental changes have ushered in the rapid decline of coral reef ecosystems, particularly by disrupting the symbioses between reef-building corals and their photosymbionts. However, escalating stressful conditions enable some symbionts to thrive as opportunists. We present evidence that a stress-tolerant “zooxanthella” from the Indo-Pacific Ocean, Symbiodinium trenchii, has rapidly spread to coral communities across the Greater Caribbean. In marked contrast to populations from the Indo-Pacific, Atlantic populations of S. trenchii contained exceptionally low genetic diversity, including several widespread and genetically similar clones. Colonies with this symbiont tolerate temperatures 1–2 °C higher than other host–symbiont combinations; however, calcification by hosts harboring S. trenchii is reduced by nearly half, compared with those harboring natives, and suggests that these new symbioses are maladapted. Unforeseen opportunism and geographical expansion by invasive mutualistic microbes could profoundly influence the response of reef coral symbioses to major environmental perturbations but may ultimately compromise ecosystem stability and function.