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Temporal stability of Symbiodinium phylotype in scleractinian coral Galaxea fascicularis from a tropical fringing reef in the South China Sea

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Abstract

Symbiodinium sp. occurs in a symbiotic association with various marine invertebrates, including the scleractinian corals. Understanding the flexibility and specificity in coral-algal symbiosis can have important implications for predicting the future of coral reefs in the era of global climate change. In the present study, we conducted Symbiodinium phylotype analysis, based on polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP), in the scleractinian coral, Galaxea fascicularis, from a tropical fringing reef in Hainan Island, over a 1-yr period. Our results showed that Galaxea fascicularis could associate with Symbiodinium clade C and D either individually or simultaneously. However, during the sampling period, the Symbiodinium phylotype did not change significantly in the scleractinian coral Galaxea fascicularis, although the seawater temperature decreased sharply in the winter season. This study further suggests that the shift in Symbiodinium communities in response to seasonally fluctuating environments might not be a universal feature of coral-algal associations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Marine Bio-Resources Sustainable Utilization, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China

    Guowei Zhou  (周国伟), Hui Huang  (黄晖) & Ziniu Yu  (喻子牛)

  2. Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, 264003, China

    Zhijun Dong  (董志军)

  3. Tropical Marine Biological Research Station in Hainan, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, 572000, China

    Guowei Zhou  (周国伟) & Hui Huang  (黄晖)

  4. Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Guowei Zhou  (周国伟)

Authors
  1. Guowei Zhou  (周国伟)
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  2. Hui Huang  (黄晖)
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  3. Zhijun Dong  (董志军)
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  4. Ziniu Yu  (喻子牛)
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Correspondence to Hui Huang  (黄晖).

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Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 40830850), and the Knowledge Innovation of Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. KZCX2-YW-227)

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Zhou, G., Huang, H., Dong, Z. et al. Temporal stability of Symbiodinium phylotype in scleractinian coral Galaxea fascicularis from a tropical fringing reef in the South China Sea. Chin. J. Ocean. Limnol. 29, 1186–1191 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-011-0301-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-011-0301-6

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