
NSF Org: |
OCE Division Of Ocean Sciences |
Recipient: |
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Initial Amendment Date: | July 25, 2014 |
Latest Amendment Date: | February 16, 2016 |
Award Number: | 1442206 |
Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
Program Manager: |
Michael Sieracki
OCE Division Of Ocean Sciences GEO Directorate for Geosciences |
Start Date: | September 1, 2014 |
End Date: | August 31, 2019 (Estimated) |
Total Intended Award Amount: | $904,000.00 |
Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $908,570.00 |
Funds Obligated to Date: |
FY 2016 = $4,570.00 |
History of Investigator: |
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Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
201 OLD MAIN UNIVERSITY PARK PA US 16802-1503 (814)865-1372 |
Sponsor Congressional District: |
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Primary Place of Performance: |
PA US 16802-7000 |
Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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Parent UEI: |
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NSF Program(s): | Dimensions of Biodiversity |
Primary Program Source: |
01001617DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT |
Program Reference Code(s): |
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Program Element Code(s): |
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Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.050 |
ABSTRACT
Coral reefs are among the most biologically diverse marine ecosystems on the planet, and provide substantial economic and ecological benefits to coastal communities. Corals are composed of both the Cnidarian animal host and complex communities of unique and underexplored microbial organisms. Today these natural wonders are in global decline, threatened by the intersecting effects of multiple stressors including overfishing, pollution, and climate change. These stressors can alter coral microbial communities in ways that may contribute to the susceptibility of corals to disease or overgrowth by algae. Therefore, understanding the relationships between corals and their microbiota may be useful for efforts to understand coral disease and preserve reef ecosystems. The microbial diversity of coral species in many diverse and ancient groups of corals remains unexplored, but understanding these communities will help to extend the knowledge gained in well-studied corals to diverse reefs worldwide. This project aims to describe microbial diversity across all major groups of reef-building corals in each of several distinct ecosystems across the globe, to determine the genome sequences and metabolic capabilities of key coral bacteria, and to test whether the composition of coral microbial communities helps to explain the overall vulnerability or resistance of different coral species to stress or disease. The project includes plans for maximizing public access, scientific community building, and training opportunities for early-career scientists. The project will fund two hispanic principal investigators, two PhD students, and two postdoctoral researchers in laboratory and field research - and also in key computational techniques for managing "Big Data". Project funds will support an extension of a program of collaborative, multilingual scientific podcasts; establishment of recurring science cafes; K-5 coral reef educational modules tested successfully for incorporation into the curriculum in the State College School District; and educational video segments.
Coral species differ in their susceptibility to bleaching and disease, but these differences are only partially explained by coral phylogeny. Therefore this project will test the extent to which incorporating the microbiota (or their contributed genes) better predicts these and other traits. Recent technological advances have broadened understanding of how complex microbiomes shape the life history, physiology, and evolution of their multicellular hosts (e.g., the human microbiome). The use of newly developed DNA sequencing techniques will allow a more complete exploration of microbial diversity in corals than has previously been feasible, while advanced computational methods will help to maximize the value of sequenced bacterial genomes. Improved predictive models that incorporate both coral phylogeny and microbial function will help inform conservation strategies and yield predictive biomarkers for coral vulnerability to disease or bleaching. Relating the diversity of corals to the diversity of their microbes will also provide important insights into how intimate symbiotic associations with microorganisms arose and are maintained in diverse animals.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
The Global Coral Microbiome Project (GCMP) has yielded an increased understanding of the role the associated microbial communities in coral holobionts. We now know that the host-algal symbiosis requires the presence of a healthy microbiome for proper functioning where all partners contribute to the metabolic demands of the holobiont. We have also learned that the microbiome may contribute to the response to thermal stress, but this varies across different coral holobionts, a clear understanding of coral-microbiome interactions is therefore critical as we chart the path forward to deal with increasing ocean temperatures. Microbial diversity is vast across the coral phylogeny and not all of it shows coevolutionary patterns, indicating that environmental context is also important.
Once all data are processed, we will have a better understanding of microbial biogeography across all ocean basins at a scale never attempted before. We will also have new insight into the metabolomes of the same species across the entire Pacific Ocean. We have examined coral microbiomes across different health states from bleaching to disease and will be able to shed light onto some of the community dynamics associated with these physiological shifts.
Through the GCMP, we reached multiple indigenous communities that derive their livelihoods from coral reef ecosystems. Their livelihoods are threatened due through anthropogenic activities. Their participation in our research and outreach activities, in particular through the film Saving Atlantis has helped them feel empowered to engage in conservation initiatives to protect their reefs.
Last Modified: 03/04/2020
Modified by: Monica Medina
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