RRAP_ECT2.1: Coral Symbiont Community Assessment from Great Barrier Reef Broodstock

Great Barrier Reef coral samples were collected in November 2020 and 2021 from Acropora, Isopora, Montipora, and Goniastrea broodstock colonies along a thermal gradient. The data, part of the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program (RRAP), includes internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) sequencing results to assess symbiont communities. It aims to inform selective breeding approaches for heat tolerance in corals.

Use Cases

• Analyze symbiont community differences based on coral species and thermal history provenance mentioned in the description
• Model the relationship between thermal gradient exposure and symbiont composition for selective breeding
• Compare symbiont profiles between broodstock colonies collected in Year 1 (2020) and Year 2 (2021)
• Investigate genetic variants associated with heat tolerance for assisted gene flow strategies

Strengths

• Samples collected from a defined thermal gradient on the Great Barrier Reef, providing environmental context
• Includes multiple coral species (Acropora kenti, A. tersa, Goniastrea retiformis, Montipora digitifera, Isopora palifera)
• Data spans two collection years (November 2020 and November 2021) for temporal comparison
• Uses ITS2 sequencing, a standard method for symbiont identification

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/temporal bias inherent to data_gov_au

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, collected as part of the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program (RRAP)

Collection Method

DNA extraction and internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) amplification and sequencing from coral broodstock fragments

Time Range

Samples collected in November 2020 (Year 1) and November 2021 (Year 2)

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-16 02:51:59.198819; freshness should be verified

Geography

Great Barrier Reef, reefs along a thermal gradient