Coral reef invertebrate microbiomes

Updated: 2026-03-25

Coral reef invertebrates host complex microbiomes and it can be challenging to understand which members are important for host fitness. We looked at a range of molecular and ecological characteristics to better understand this. Coral, octocoral and sponge samples were collected on SCUBA between May-October 2017 from multiple reefs on the central and northern GBR. Data were sequenced for the 16S rRNA gene to profile the microbial community and 18S rRNA, COI & ITS1 to reconstruct host phylogeny. Data was analysed using a range of bioinformatic techniques.