Dataset: Microsatellite genotypes of Breviolum sp. symbionts within Orbicella faveolata recruits outplanted to reefs in the Florida Keys from 2009-2011 (SymBioSys project)

Sampling and Analytical Methodology: 

Egg-sperm bundles were collected from adult colonies of O. faveolata following the techniques described by Miller (2014).  Larvae were reared at a shore-based lab and settled onto terracotta tiles.  Once the larvae had metamorphosed and attached to the tiles, they were outplanted onto the reef by attachment vertically to a PVC rack approximately 0.2 m above the substrate to allow uptake of algal symbionts. Tiles with recruits were sampled one to three months after outplanting, recruits removed from the tile and preserved individually in 95% ethanol for subsequent molecular analysis. DNA extraction followed Coffroth et al. (1992).  Genotypes of the algal symbionts within the genus Breviolum were characterized using three polymorphic microsatellite loci, B7Sym34, B7Sym36 and CA6.38, which were adapted for use with O. faveolata (Thornhill et al. 2009).

Tissue samples were collected from the top, middle and bottom portions of adult Orbicella faveolata colonies using the syringe method as described in Correa et al. (2009) and DNA extracted following Coffroth et al. (1992).  Cp-23S genotypes of the algal symbionts within the genus Breviolum were characterized following the protocol of Santos et al. (2003).

Locations in the Florida Keys with Abbreviations

• Alligator (AR)
• Coral Garden (CG)
• Cheeca Rocks (CR)
• East Turtle (ET)
• Grecian Rocks (GR)
• Looe Key (LK)
• Sand Island (SI)
• Tennessee (TR)