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The Underwater World of Microbiology and Coral Research

By Elisa Livengood, SNRE PhD Student

Research completed by Dr. Max Teplitski and Cory Krediet was funded in part from by the SNRE Mini-Grant Programs. Dr. Teplitski was the recipient of a Seed Grant during the FY06-07 Mini-grant Program.

Conservationists estimate that 60% of the planet's coral reef systems will be permanently lost or destroyed in the next 30 years if efforts to protect them are not increased¹. The result of this forecast could have a significant influence on Florida coastlines, which contain extensive coral reef formations from Key Biscane to the Dry Tortugas.

Coral reefs provide the structure for highly productive ocean areas because they serve as specialized habitats, food sources, and breeding sites for many marine fish and invertebrates. Coral reefs also provide a substantial economic impact, with reef ecotourism industry providing approximately 1.9 billion USD annually to the global economy. The importance of reefs also extends to their value in fisheries. A third of the world's marine fish species inhabit coral reefs, and fisheries catch from reefs constitute 10% of the fish protein consumed globally². For example, in developing nations, coral reef species contribute about one-quarter of the total fish catch³.

However, despite the important services coral reef ecosystems provide they remain threatened by many anthropogenic influences and are subsequently showing signs of decline in many areas. The leading cause of this decline stems from an increase of human disturbances in the forms of pollution from sewage, agricultural runoff, sedimentation and turbidity influx, and disease. For many of the more recent threats to coral reef health, the ecology and etiology of coral reef disease and coral pathogens have become of major conservation concern. Dr. Max Teplitski (Department of Soil and Water Science and SNRE affiliate faculty member), in collaboration with Dr. Kim Ritchie (Mote Marine Laboratory), is leading the effort to understand the microbiology and epizootics⁴ of coral reef systems. "With these various levels of support, we were able to solidify a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional research team of faculty, interested in the biocontrol of coral disease," said Teplitski, noting his successful research partnerships with Mote Marine Lab, Protect our Reefs/Florida and The National Geographic Society.

Dr. Teplitski’s task of understanding the cellular biology of coral reef systems is more urgent than ever, as the general health of reefs is threatened worldwide.  The primary goal of his research is to understand the relationship between beneficial bacteria and their coral hosts. “By identifying genes required for coral colonization by bacteria and the interactions of microbial signals, we can begin to investigate the possibility of using “probiotic” bacteria to reduce the susceptibility of corals to pathogens,” Teplitski explained.  Specifically, Teplitski’s lab works to identify both the regulatory and metabolic genes that allow for growth of the coral associated bacteria. “With the identification of these genes, we can then characterize the signals that affect bacterial gene expression and further understand how coral-associated bacteria interact on corals,” explained Teplitski. Two bacterial species that are serving as the models for these experiments include Planococcus spp. and its interaction with Serratia marcescens, a coral white pox pathogen.

Essentially his work focuses on coral microbes and their signals in response to their environment or the presence of other microbes. With the knowledge of the coral’s natural microbiota, conservationists looking to rebuild damaged and diseased reefs may have greater success with restoration efforts. 

Leading the research with Dr. Teplitski is SNRE graduate student, Cory Krediet. Cory recently graduated with his masters degree on the resilience of coral-associated microbial communities and their inter-kingdom signaling (communication at the cellular level that allows for organisms to respond to their environment). To gather data and specimens, Krediet and Teplitski capitalize on both the field and laboratory experience with each component being integral to the experimental design.

“This research is unique, as it requires training in microbiology, molecular biology and ecology. We use SCUBA to first dive and collect samples of coral mucus from the reef. Then collected samples are taken back to the lab and sterilized. For the laboratory aspect of the project, the coral mucus is used as a culture medium for the coral associated bacterial experiments,” said Krediet.  Balancing the unpredictable aspects of fieldwork in the open water, with the high level of control required for pathogen research, allows for the dynamic nature of the microbial ecology of corals to truly be examined.

The research conducted by Krediet and Teplitski will have broader implications to the conservation efforts on coral reefs. Further development and understanding of the biocontrol of coral reef microbial assemblages may result in better management strategies and aid restoration efforts. Their research provides insight into the plight of coral reef health and hope to the admirers of nature’s greatest underwater achievement!

Additional Sources

For more information on the work of Dr.Teplitski's Lab view his websites:
http://soils.ifas.ufl.edu/personnel/teplitski.html
http://quorumsensing.ifas.ufl.edu/

To find out how you can contribute to funding coral conservation efforts in Florida view the website on Mote Marine Lab and their Protect our Reefs License Plate Program.
http://isurus.mote.org/Keys/reef_plate.phtml