Markers of resilience to stony coral tissue loss disease and putative probiotic functions in the microbiomes of the coral, Orbicella faveolata

Abstract

Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) is widespread within the Caribbean and affects at least 22 species of reef-building coral. Bacteria have been implicated in the etiology of SCTLD, but the community of bacteria and archaea may also contribute to SCTLD resistance. To identify potential mechanisms through which microbes contribute to SCTLD resistance, we sequenced metagenomes from 41 colonies of the threatened coral, Orbicella faveolata, in the lower Florida Keys. All colonies were fate-tracked for four to five years, treated with amoxicillin if needed to prevent SCTLD-related mortality, and categorized into four health status categories following the monitoring period: never diseased (20%), diseased before sampling but recovered (10%), apparently healthy during sampling but eventually diseased (22%), and diseased (49%). Within the coral microbiome, diseased and yet-to-be diseased colonies exhibited higher variability in functional genes. In contrast, corals that remained unaffected or recovered had less variable microbiomes with greater abundances of vitamin and antibiotic biosynthesis, secretion system, and quorum sensing genes that may support host health and resilience to pathogens. Despite repeated antibiotic treatments on some colonies, there was no effect on the diversity of beta-lactamases, antibiotic resistance genes that may confer amoxicillin resistance. Additional potentially probiotic gene clusters for the production of antimicrobial and bioactive compounds were present in many colonies regardless of fate. Taken together, we find significant putative probiotic functions in the coral microbiome to armor host O. faveolata corals against SCTLD infection, which may underpin intraspecific variation in stony coral tissue loss disease resilience and susceptibility.