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Ubiquitous associations and a peak fall prevalence between apicomplexan symbionts and reef corals in Florida and the Bahamas

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Abstract

Although apicomplexans are a widely recognized and important parasitic group, little is known about those associated with invertebrates, such as reef-building scleractinian corals. To resolve the potential impact of apicomplexans on coral health, it is first necessary to further describe this group of putative parasites and determine their prevalence among host species. Here, it was hypothesized that apicomplexan prevalence would vary seasonally, similar to what occurs in other marine apicomplexans as well as some coral symbionts. To test this, Caribbean scleractinian species Porites astreoides, Montastraea (=Orbicella) annularis, M. (=O.) faveolata, and Siderastrea siderea were sampled seasonally from two reefs each in the Florida Keys and the Bahamas for 9- and 5.5-year periods, respectively. Utilizing a PCR-based screening assay, apicomplexan DNA was detected from most Floridian (80.1 %: n = 555/693) and Bahamian (90.7 %: n = 311/343) coral tissue samples collected over these multi-year periods. Furthermore, apicomplexan DNA was detected from nearly all (98.7 %: n = 78/79) single polyps sampled at multiple locations within six M. faveolata colonies, indicating little to no intracolonial variation in the screening assay. Mixed-model logistic regression was utilized to determine the effects of season, host species, and reef on apicomplexan prevalence. The model identified a significant seasonal effect, with the highest apicomplexan prevalence occurring during fall. There also was a large effect of host species, with apicomplexan prevalence significantly lower among S. siderea colonies relative to the other species. While reef did not have a significant effect in the full model, there was a significant difference in apicomplexan prevalence between Floridian and Bahamian reefs for S. siderea, implying regional differences in this host species. Despite seasonal and species-specific differences in prevalence, apicomplexans are ubiquitous constituents of these particular scleractinian coral species from Florida and the Bahamas.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. F. F. Bartol and Dr. T. D. Steury for statistical advice and Drs. K. M. Halanych, C. A. Sundermann, N. E. Chadwick, as well as E. E. Kirk, members of the Molette Lab at Auburn University, and three anonymous reviewers for comments that greatly improved this work. Samples used in this project were collected through funding by National Science Foundation grants (9906976 and 0137007), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Office of Naval Research, and the Bleaching Group of the Coral Reef Targeted Research and Capacity Building for Management to WFK and G. W. Schmidt. This work also was supported by grants from the Auburn University Graduate School and the PADI Foundation (#4005) to NLK. This manuscript represents contributions #104 and #11 from the Auburn University (AU) Marine Biology Program and Molette Biology Laboratory for Environmental and Climate Change Studies, respectively, and #31 from the Key Largo Marine Research Laboratory. We also thank the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary for permitting.

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  1. Department of Biological Sciences, 101 Life Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA

    N. L. Kirk & S. R. Santos

  2. Department of Conservation Science and Policy, Defenders of Wildlife, 1130 17th St. NW, Washington, DC, 20036, USA

    D. J. Thornhill

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

    D. W. Kemp & W. K. Fitt

  4. Cell and Molecular Biosciences Peak Program, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA

    S. R. Santos

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Correspondence to N. L. Kirk.

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Kirk, N.L., Thornhill, D.J., Kemp, D.W. et al. Ubiquitous associations and a peak fall prevalence between apicomplexan symbionts and reef corals in Florida and the Bahamas. Coral Reefs 32, 847–858 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-013-1038-9

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