EAGER: Can ancient DNA illuminate the fate of Caribbean reefs?

研究人员最近证明，来自珊瑚以及珊瑚相关微生物的古老DNA（aDNA）可以从6000年前的珊瑚碎片中测序。这些碎片可以很容易地从地质收藏中保存的珊瑚礁核心中获得。在EAGER中，研究人员正在扩展这些结果，并比较来自两个地理区域和过去几千年的珊瑚及其微生物。通过展示aDNA作为解开珊瑚种群历史的有用工具的潜力，该项目可能会围绕珊瑚aDNA研究开辟一个新的科学领域。外联活动包括新闻稿、社交媒体帖子、公开讲座，可能还有一部纪录片。该项目正在支持一名来自代表性不足背景的女研究生和一名本科生。研究人员以最重要的加勒比造礁珊瑚物种Acropora palmata为重点，试图检测珊瑚种群遗传组成的差异。两个地点和两个最有可能显示生态进化转型的时间段之间的相关微生物群落。具体地说，他们使用的核心来自两个地方，这两个地方含有基因上不同的A。palmata种群、佛罗里达和美属维尔京群岛的分布，以及3，300 - 2，900年前的“礁隙”时期，当时A.据认为掌叶蚁的数量已经锐减。他们还正在制定杂交捕获协议，以丰富珊瑚aDNA样本，并试图对加勒比第二大造礁者Orbicella faveolata的aDNA进行测序，这一奖项反映了国家科学基金会的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来提供支持。

The investigator has recently demonstrated that ancient DNA (aDNA) from coral as well as coral-associated microbes can be sequenced from coral fragments up to six thousand years old. These fragments can be readily obtained from reef cores kept in geological collections. In this EAGER, the investigator is expanding these results and comparing corals and their microbes from two geographic regions and over the past few thousand years. By demonstrating the potential of aDNA as a useful tool to unravel the history of coral populations, the project may open up a new scientific field around coral aDNA studies. Outreach includes press releases, social media posts, public lectures, and potentially a documentary film. The project is supporting a female graduate student and an undergraduate student from an underrepresented background.Focusing on the most important Caribbean reef-building coral species, Acropora palmata, the investigator is attempting to detect differences in the genetic composition of coral populations and their associated microbial communities between two locations and two time periods that are the most likely to show an eco-evolutionary transition. Specifically, they are using cores from two locations that harbor genetically disparate A. palmata populations, Florida and US Virgin Islands, and time periods bounding a “reef gap” 3,300-2,900 years ago, when A. palmata populations are thought to have collapsed. They are also establishing the hybridization capture protocol to enrich samples with coral aDNA and attempting to sequence aDNA from the second most-important Caribbean reef builder, Orbicella faveolata.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.