Genetics of coral resilience

Genome-wide study in staghorn coral identifies markers of disease resistance Present in every population of plants and animals are distinct individuals who are resistant to disease. An important question is what genetic insights can be obtained from studying these individuals. In the case of coral,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2023-09, Vol.381 (6665), p.1414-1415
Main Authors: Mydlarz, Laura D., Muller, Erinn M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acropora cervicornis
Climate change
Disease resistance
Gene sequencing
Genetics
Genomes
Outbreaks
Populations
Resilience
Restoration
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Summary:Genome-wide study in staghorn coral identifies markers of disease resistance Present in every population of plants and animals are distinct individuals who are resistant to disease. An important question is what genetic insights can be obtained from studying these individuals. In the case of coral, many of which are on the brink of regional extinctions largely because of disease outbreaks, information on resistant individuals has the potential to prevent ecosystem collapse. On page 1451 of this issue, Vollmer et al . ( 1 ) report genome sequencing results for staghorn coral ( Acropora cervicornis ) populations in Florida and Panama that have been exposed to disease. They identified gene variants that are associated with disease resistance. These variants could be used to identify resilient populations for use in coral restoration efforts. This is important because climate change and disease outbreaks continue to prevent many existing restoration programs from achieving long-term success.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.adk2492