About This Project

There is more algae on coral reefs than ever before and humans are to blame. Can we use next generation techniques to play "Dr. Doolittle" and find out just how the coral animals feel about living in contact with algae? We know that some algae can kill coral in the lab, but we also know that algae and coral can grow next to each other on the reef seemingly unaffected. What hidden effect is algae having on coral? How will that impact the way we survey and manage coral reefs to preserve them?

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

Coral reefs provide essential habitat for fish, contribute to coastal security, and provide millions of dollars in tourism revenue. But those services are dependent on having coral. Overfishing and nutrification of coastal waters means fewer herbivores grazing faster-growing algae, resulting in more algae on coral reefs. Research tells us this means decreased coral growth and reproduction. But often corals in contact with algae on the reef do not appear unhealthy. The rise of cost-effective next-generation sequencing methods allows me to be a coral "Dr. Doolittle," asking apparently healthy corals how they really feel about being in direct contact with the invasive macro alga, "Gorilla Ogo," and whether different species of coral feel differently about their neighbor.

What is the significance of this project?

The future of coral reefs depends on our ability to monitor reef health and respond with effective management. While traditional coral reef monitoring has been successful at documenting the decline of coral reefs in response to multiple stressors, the point at which a coral can be visually identified as “stressed” is beyond the point at which management can be effective to remove the stressor. The use of next-generation and molecular methods allows us to be “coral whisperers” and detect stress in corals before they appear stressed visually. Applying these techniques to coral-algae interactions will allow us to understand more fully how algae affect corals, and how management options can be tailored to specific areas to support the survival of coral reefs.

What are the goals of the project?

300 coral nubbins were collected in March of this year, from three different common species of coral (see lab notes!). Nubbins were placed in direct contact with mats of the invasive alga, Gorilla Ogo, for 1-3 months (check out "results" tab for preliminary results!).

I will apply a cutting-edge technology called tag-based RNA sequencing to identify which genes are expressed in Lobe Corals that have been in contact with Gorilla Ogo, and which molecular pathways (oxidative stress, detoxification, etc) are involved in that stress response, which will tell me how the coral animal is affected by this stressor.

My goal for this project is to sequence RNA from 4 different treatments (1,2,3 month exposures + control) for each of 22 Lobe Coral colonies.