STONY CORAL TISSUE LOSS DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY AND RESISTANCE: GENOMIC FACTORS AMONG ORBICELLA FAVEOLATA CORALS IN SOUTH FLORIDA

Author

• Allison M. Klein

Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

2022

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Voss, Joshua D.

Abstract

Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) has spread throughout the entirety of Florida’s Coral Reef (FCR) and across the Caribbean, impacting over 50 coral species. The threatened hermatypic coral, Orbicella faveolata, demonstrates intraspecific variation in SCTLD resistance and has been categorized into three resistance levels: “High”, “Medium”, and “Low”. This study evaluated potential genomic underpinnings of variable disease susceptibility by monitoring and sampling 90 O. faveolata colonies from Southeast Florida and the Lower Keys. High resolution analyses of >11,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms identified no significant genetic lineages among O. faveolata colonies associated with SCTLD resistance or susceptibility. Algal symbiont community analysis revealed that Durusdinium was present in greater abundances in SCTLD-affected colonies compared to the “High” resistance group, suggesting that algal symbiont community structure may play a role in SCTLD resistance. Data generated by this research will be combined with complementary approaches to further investigate the complex drivers of SCTLD resilience.

Extent

63 p.

Comments

Includes bibliography.|Thesis (MS)--Florida Atlantic University, 2022.|FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection|Includes bibliography.

Recommended Citation

Klein, Allison M., "STONY CORAL TISSUE LOSS DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY AND RESISTANCE: GENOMIC FACTORS AMONG ORBICELLA FAVEOLATA CORALS IN SOUTH FLORIDA" (2022). Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present. 1040.
https://digitalcommons.fau.edu/etd_general/1040

Identifier

FA00013996

Format

pdf