Title: SPECIES DIVERSITY IN THE MESOPHOTIC CORAL GENUS LEPTOSERIS: A COMBINED TAXONOMIC AND PHYLOGENOMIC ASSESSMENT

Abstract: Mesophotic coral ecosystems in the Indo-Pacific are often dominated by members of the genus Leptoseris, particularly in the deepest parts of the mesophotic zone. Although recent molecular studies have shed light on the species diversity of this genus in the Hawaiian archipelago, the genus remains poorly understood when it comes to other parts of the Indo-Pacific. Here, we present a comprehensive study into the species diversity, distribution and ecology of the genus Leptoseris on the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. We conducted benthic video transects and extensive specimen collections across a broad depth range (10-125 m depth) at 10 different locations in the region. Through a combined taxonomic and molecular assessment (of both host and Symbiodinium diversity) we established initial geographic and ecological patterns of diversity. These were then further assessed through an in-depth phylogenomic assessment, in which we sequenced 150 Leptoseris specimens on the Illumina HiSeq platform (using a modified RAD-seq approach), including representatives from the different taxonomic species encountered on the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea, as well as Hawaii and the Red Sea. This genome-wide approach successfully resolved existing taxonomic species across regions, but also uncovered substantial cryptic diversity (e.g. in L. hawaiiensis and L. scabra) and geographic divergence. Overall this study sheds light on the diversity of this genus across both shallow and mesophotic reefs, and provides a first insight into the evolutionary relationships of its members across the Pacific.

Authors: Englebert N, Bongaerts P, Pichon M, Dinesen Z, Kahng SE, Eyal G, Muir PR, Hoegh-Guldberg O

Presentation: Oral

Session: 29

Date: 06/21/16

Time: 16:45

Location: 308 A/B

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