Thermal regime and host clade rather than geography drive Symbiodinium and bacterial assemblages in the scleractinian coral Pocillopora damicornis sensu lato

摘要

BackgroundAlthough the term holobiont has been popularized in corals with the advent of the hologenome theory of evolution, the underlying concepts are still a matter of debate. Indeed, the relative contribution of host and environment and especially thermal regime in shaping the microbial communities should be examined carefully to evaluate the potential role of symbionts for holobiont adaptation in the context of global changes. We used the sessile, long-lived, symbiotic and environmentally sensitive reef-building coral Pocillopora damicornis to address these issues.