RRAP_ECT2.1: Coral Symbiont Community Assessment Across Thermal Gradient

The Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program (RRAP) collected this data to assess symbiont communities in coral broodstock. Samples from Acropora, Isopora, Montipora, and Goniastrea species were taken from reefs along a thermal gradient on the Great Barrier Reef in November 2020 and 2021. The data includes internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) sequencing results to understand symbiont variation for selective breeding.

Use Cases

• Compare symbiont community composition based on coral species and thermal history provenance mentioned in the description.
• Investigate genetic variants associated with heat tolerance for selective breeding programs based on the described assisted gene flow research.
• Analyze the relationship between thermal gradient exposure and symbiont diversity within broodstock colonies.
• Model coral resilience by linking ITS2 sequencing profiles to environmental provenance data.

Strengths

• Data covers multiple coral species (Acropora kenti, A. tersa, Goniastrea retiformis, Montipora digitifera, Isopora palifera).
• Samples were collected from reefs along a defined thermal gradient on the Great Barrier Reef.
• Collection occurred over two distinct years (2020 and 2021), providing a temporal component.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic and temporal bias inherent to the specific collection events on the Great Barrier Reef.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Broodstock colonies were collected, fragments were taken for DNA extraction and ITS2 amplification and sequencing.

Time Range

Samples collected in November 2020 and November 2021.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-13 20:04:07.447168; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Great Barrier Reef, specifically reefs along a thermal gradient.