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Email: cdaniels@marine.usf.edu Phone: (727) 553-3930; FAX: (727) 553-1189
Project: Molecular Analysis of Bacterial Communities Associated with Corals During Culture and Transplantation
Corals are known to harbor abundant microbial communities, with approximately 100 million bacteria per square centimeter of coral surface. Corals rely on their bacteria-laden mucus layer as a protective barrier against pathogens, and can acquire water column microbes to better adapt to changing environmental conditions. Bacterial communities within coral mucus are species-specific associations that are maintained over time and space. Disease and bleaching in corals are often associated with changes in composition or activity of the associated microbial community. The deteriorating health of many coral reefs worldwide has prompted researchers to develop alternate strategies for coral conservation. Our collaborators at The Florida Aquarium, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Mote Marine Laboratory, and the University of Florida Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory have developed a project to fragment Caribbean scleractinian corals, grow/maintain them in culture, and then transplant them back to the wild. Maintaining corals in culture and then transplanting them into the wild has raised issues about the susceptibility of these corals to bleaching and disease, as it is unknown what effect this will have on the beneficial microbes normally found in their protective mucus layer. Identification of various coral diseases and syndromes has classically been limited to visual characterization, but by the time changes are evident the coral is usually already compromised. The advent of molecular profiling techniques allows for the detection of changes in the coral-associated bacterial community, before and after symptoms present. Monitoring the coral-associated microbial community composition in the natural environment, under various culture conditions, and following transplantation back into the Florida Keys will provide insight into the stability of coral-bacterial associations, determine if transplanted coral represent a source of new bacteria to the environment, and provide preliminary information on the condition of corals prior to transplantation for restoration projects. My project applies both culture work and the molecular community profiling technique, ARISA (Automated Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analysis), to track bacterial communities in several species of corals from initial fragmentation, throughout the culturing process, and after transplantation back into the environment. This study will provide insight into the stability of bacterial communities associated with corals, and determine if culture conditions lead to changes in the composition of coral-associated bacterial communities that may affect the health and survival of both the transplanted corals and those on the surrounding reefs. Funding is provided by Project AWARE and the Florida’s Wildlife Legacy Initiative. Honors USF College of Marine Science Bridge to the Doctorate Endowed Fellow (2006-2009) McKnight Doctoral Fellow, Florida Education Fund (2006-2010) Gulf Oceanic Trust Fellow, University of South Florida’s College of Marine Science (2006-2007)
Publications Daniels, C. and P. Hallock. (in prep). Reef Assessment: An Index Utilizing Sediments. Dupont, J. and C. Daniels. May 29, 2006. Sea treaty hold riches for U.S. St. Petersburg Times, 11A. Dupont, J and C. Daniels. Marzo 2006. En Política De Océanos: A Nadar o Te Hundes. La Regata: El Periodico Nautico de Puerto Rico 9:3, p.25. Dupont, J and C. Daniels. February 12, 2006. It’s sink or swim for U.S. Ocean Policy. St. Petersburg Times, 5P. http://www.stpetetimes.com/2006/02/12/Perspective/Sink_or_swim_time_on_.shtml Conferences July 2008 - International Coral
Reef Symposium (ICRS), Ft. Lauderdale, FL.Oral Presentation: Bacterial Community
Profiling for Coral Restoration
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Camille Daniels