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Biochemical Composition Of Caribbean Gorgonian Corals And Their Symbiosis Under Ambeint And Stressful Conditions, Kartick Prakash Shirur

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Gorgonian corals are the dominant benthic fauna on Caribbean reefs. Unlike scleractinian corals, gorgonian abundance on these reefs has remained stable or has increased. Therefore, to predict how climate change will affect the reef community, it is essential to understand gorgonian physiology under ambient and stressful situations. Under ambient conditions, eight gorgonian species hosted different clade B Symbiodinium, and in two gorgonian species in which the bacterial microbiomes were investigated, two distinct communities were found. In the eight gorgonian species, skeletal content varied from 75-96%, with those having more tissue also having more Symbiodinium density within their branches. The composition …