Metagenome of Acropora palmata coral rubble: Potential metabolic pathways and diversity in the reef ecosystem
Over the past 30 years, the stony coral Acropora palmata has experienced an excessive loss of individuals showing few signs of recovery throughout the Mexican Caribbean, resulting in long stretches of coral rubble structures. When the coral dies, the skeleton begins to be colonized by algae, sponges...
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Published in | PloS one Vol. 14; no. 8; p. e0220117 |
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Main Authors | , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
United States
Public Library of Science
08.08.2019
Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Over the past 30 years, the stony coral Acropora palmata has experienced an excessive loss of individuals showing few signs of recovery throughout the Mexican Caribbean, resulting in long stretches of coral rubble structures. When the coral dies, the skeleton begins to be colonized by algae, sponges, virus, bacteria and other microorganisms, forming a new community. Here we analyze, using a metagenomic approach, the diversity and biogeochemical cycles associated to coral rubble in La Bocana (Puerto Morelos, QRoo, Mexico). This study provides the first broad characterization of coral rubble associated communities and their role in biogeochemical cycling, suggesting a potential view of a world where coral reefs are no longer dominated by corals. |
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Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. Current address: UNAM, Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Yucatán, Sierra Papacal, México. |
ISSN: | 1932-6203 1932-6203 |
DOI: | 10.1371/journal.pone.0220117 |