SCTLD Resistance Research Consortium Summary Report through May 2023

Between July 2021 and March 2023 the SCTLD Resistance Research Consortium (RRC), to undertook an integrated approach to understanding the underpinnings for SCTLD resistance and susceptibility among Florida O. faveolata populations. This team was assembled to target many various components in disease investigation: genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, proteomics, lipidomics, histopathology (tissue and subcellular structure), microbiomes, endosymbionts, tissue regeneration, and fecundity. RRC analysis will continue through FY 23-24.

RRC updates:

• The genetics data indicated that the Orbicella populations were once successfully recruiting throughout the reef system. Something that happens very rarely if at all today even though over 91% of the colonies were fecund. Although differences in sampling times existed, the Lower Keys colonies were the least fecund, especially those with previous lesions.
• Metabolite, lipid, and protein data all provided evidence that a coral’s state is dynamic over time and varied by region. Differences in resistance were found only in specific regions at specific times of the year. In the Lower Keys, resistance classes differed by metabolite species in June and September, by lipid species in June and March, and by protein species in June. In the ECA, no significant differences were found in all metabolite, lipid, or protein species between resistance classes.

• The transcriptomics data have not been fully analyzed, however preliminary results suggest that corals with previous lesions have a fingerprint of the effects in their gene expression that might contribute to recurrent infections.
• Coral disease was dynamic during the study with some corals getting more disease, some for the first time, and others having less. While all corals were sampled in healthy-looking tissue away from any disease, tracking these disease states facilitate identifying specific corals with recent disease to investigate resistance and possible disease markers. More research is needed to understand what specific aspects of these corals differed.
• A key missing piece is the microbial data. Progress on this in the coming year will help elucidate the functions the microbial communities are expressing across time, regions, and resistance.

More research of the data is needed to understand the role of gametogenesis in cell functioning, histopathology, associations with disease, and associations with amoxicillin treatments.