ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Mar. Sci.
Sec. Microbial Symbioses
Distinct microbiomes of the scleractinian coral Favia fragum in mangrove and adjacent reef habitats in the Panamanian Caribbean
Provisionally accepted
- 1Division of Natural Sciences, New College of Florida, Sarasota, United States
- 2Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, United States
- 3Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
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Coral reefs are essential ecosystems facing severe global decline due to various environmental stressors. Understanding coral resilience and adaptability is critical for their conservation. We examined the microbial communities associated with the scleractinian coral Favia fragum in both mangrove and adjacent reef habitats in the Panamanian Caribbean. Our results reveal that F. fragum colonies in mangrove habitats at different sites share similar microbial communities, distinct from those in adjacent reef habitats. Notably, certain bacterial lineages, including Cyanobacteria and Hyphomicrobiales, are enriched in mangrove-associated corals, suggesting potential roles in carbon and nitrogen cycling. Conversely, the family Vibrionaceae, which includes known coral pathogens, is more abundant in reef habitats. These findings emphasize the significance of microbial communities in coral resilience and highlight the complex interplay between corals and microbial symbionts across different habitats. Protecting mangroves, which serve as nurseries for coral biodiversity, is crucial for overall reef health in the face of global coral decline.
Keywords: Coral holobiont, coral reef, Cyanobacteria, Mangrove coral, microbiome
Received: 18 Jul 2025; Accepted: 10 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Moscoso and Thacker. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Jose A Moscoso
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