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Spatially distinct and regionally endemic Symbiodinium assemblages in the threatened Caribbean reef-building coral Orbicella faveolata

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Abstract

Recently, the Caribbean reef-building coral Orbicella faveolata was listed as “threatened” under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Despite attention to this species’ conservation, the extent of geographic variation within O. faveolata warrants further investigation. O. faveolata is unusual in that it can simultaneously harbor multiple genetically distinct and co-dominant species of endosymbiotic dinoflagellates in the genus Symbiodinium. Here, we investigate the geographic and within-colony complexity of Symbiodinium-O. faveolata associations from Florida Keys, USA; Exuma Cays, Bahamas; Puerto Morelos, Mexico; and Carrie Bow Cay, Belize. We collected coral samples along intracolony axes, and Symbiodinium within O. faveolata samples was analyzed using the nuclear ITS2 region and chloroplast 23S rDNA genotyping. O. faveolata associated with species of Symbiodinium in clades A (type A3), B (B1 and B17), C (C3, C7, and C7a), and D (D1a/Symbiodinium trenchii). Within-colony distributions of Symbiodinium species correlated with light availability, cardinal direction, and depth, resulting in distinct zonation patterns of endosymbionts within a host. Symbiodinium species from clades A and B occurred predominantly in the light-exposed tops, while species of clade C generally occurred in the shaded sides of colonies or in deeper-water habitats. Furthermore, geographic comparisons of host–symbiont associations revealed regional differences in Symbiodinium associations. Symbiodinium A3 was detected in Mesoamerican coral colonies, but not in colonies from the Florida Keys or Bahamas. Likewise, Symbiodinium B17 was unique to Mesoamerican O. faveolata, whereas Symbiodinium B1 was found at all localities sampled. However, using cp23S genotyping paired with ITS2 analysis revealed geographically endemic haplotypes among Symbiodinium clades A, B, and C. Since Symbiodinium spatial heterogeneity among this coral species is greater than most corals, a question arises as to whether all western Atlantic populations of O. faveolata should be considered equally “threatened”? Alternatively, geographically and spatially distinct coral–symbiont associations may benefit from specialized management protocols.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Caribbean Marine Research Center, Bahamas, the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico, and Carrie Bow Key field station, Belize, for permits and help obtaining samples. We thank Edgar Mancera for providing temperature data for Puerto Morelos, Mexico. Jennifer McCabe Reynolds, Xavier Hernandez-Pech, Clint Oakley, and Gordon Hendler provided dive support. We thank Scott Santos for cp23S primers and Jake Li from Defenders of Wildlife for helpful discussion concerning the ESA. National Science Foundation grant NSF-0137007 awarded to W.K.F. and G.W.S. and The World Bank Center of Excellence, Coral Reef Targeted Research program, supported this work and grant NSF-1015342 provided salary to D.W.K. during the completion of this work. This is contribution number 971 of the Caribbean Coral Reef Ecosystems Program (CCRE), Smithsonian Institution, supported in part by the Hunterdon Oceanographic Research Fund, contribution number 82 of the Key Largo Marine Research Laboratory, and contribution number 125 of the Department of Biological Sciences at Auburn University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA

    Dustin W. Kemp & William K. Fitt

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA

    Daniel J. Thornhill

  3. John H. Prescott Marine Laboratory, New England Aquarium, Boston, MA, 02110, USA

    Randi D. Rotjan

  4. Unidad Académica de Sistemas Arrecifales, Puerto Morelos, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Puerto Morelos, Mexico

    Roberto Iglesias-Prieto

  5. Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA

    Gregory W. Schmidt

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Kemp, D.W., Thornhill, D.J., Rotjan, R.D. et al. Spatially distinct and regionally endemic Symbiodinium assemblages in the threatened Caribbean reef-building coral Orbicella faveolata . Coral Reefs 34, 535–547 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-015-1277-z

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