Tank-based bacterial profiling identifies basin-wide white band disease pathogen candidate and no bacterial associations with coral disease resistance

Sep 29, 2026

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White band disease (WBD) has devastated the Caribbean staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis since 1979, while its cause remains unclear despite many candidate bacterial pathogens. Using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, the study profiles tank-based transmission dynamics in Florida Keys corals representing 50 nursery genotypes with differing resistances. No bacterial ASV, genus, or family correlates with native microbiome resistance; nine ASVs associate with tank disease outcome, including Cysteiniphilum litorale (ASV 65).

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

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Abstract

Introduction

ISME Communications, 2025, 5(1), ycaf247 [https://doi.org/10.1093/ismeco/ycaf247](https://doi.org/10.1093/ismeco/ycaf247) Advance access publication: 19 December 2025 Original Article Tank-based bacterial profiling identifies basin-wide white band disease pathogen candidate and no bacterial associations with coral disease resistance Emily C. Trytten 1 , *, Brecia A. Despard1 , Jason D. Selwyn1 , 2 , Steven V. Vollmer1 , 3 ,4 1 Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Northeastern University, Nahant, MA, United States 2 Genomics Core Laboratory, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX, United States 3 Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, United States 4 School of Environmental, Coastal, and Ocean Sustainability, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, United States *Corresponding author. Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Northeastern University, 14 Holmes Hall, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, United States. E-mail: [trytten.e@northeastern.edu](trytten.e@northeastern.edu) Abstract White band disease (WBD) has decimated the Caribbean staghorn coral, Acropora cervicornis, since its emergence in 1979, but its etiology remains unknown. Numerous WBD pathogen candidates from over nine bacterial families have been implicated, with a multi-year field study recently identifying Cysteiniphilum litorale as the likely pathogen. Here, we use 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to profile changes in the bacterial communities in a tank-based transmission experiment in the Florida Keys using 50 nursery-raised staghorn coral genotypes with varying disease resistances to determine whether any bacteria in the native staghorn coral microbiomes were associated with WBD resistance and to identify bacterial amplicon sequencing variants (ASVs) associated with WBD exposure and transmission. We found no significant associations, positive or negative, between any bacterial ASV, genus, or family and disease resistance in native staghorn coral microbiomes but did identify nine bacterial ASVs strongly associated with disease outcome in the tank-based transmission experiment. ASV 65, classified as Cysteiniphilum litorale, showed strong disease associations consistent with pathogenicity, including being significantly associated with WBD transmission within disease-exposed tanks (i.e. more abundant on diseased fragments) and being significantly more abundant on the diseased experimental dose than the healthy dose. The V3-V4 16SrRNA gene sequence for ASV 65 differed by only 1 of 415 bp from the C. litoraleASV identified as the putative WBD pathogen in the recent multi-year study from Panama, suggesting a rare Caribbean-wide strain-level pathogen association. Eight additional disease-associated ASVs were identified as potential opportunistic pathogens and included ASVs from the families Vibrionaceae and Colwelliaceae. Keywords: white band disease; staghorn coral; Acropora cervicornis; Cysteiniphilum litorale; disease resistance Introduction The rate and severity of marine epizootics has increased dramatically in the last few decades [1 , 2], partially in response to rapidly warming ocean temperatures [3 , 4] . Emergent coral diseases have caused unprecedented mortality on Caribbean coral reefs with stony coral tissue loss disease currently impacting more than 20 Scleractinian coral species [5–7] and white band disease (WBD) decimating populations of Caribbean acroporid corals since 1979 [8 , 9] . Despite the devastating impacts of coral diseases on tropical reefs [10–12], the etiology of most coral diseases remains unknown, with coral pathogens conclusively identified for only six of the 20-plus known coral diseases [13 , 14] . High coral microbial diversity [15 , 16], the complexity of the coral holobiont [17], and the high frequency of opportunistic pathogens in marine systems [18 , 19] have made primary pathogen identification and cultiva

FAQs

Why is the etiology of white band disease difficult to determine?

Most coral disease causes remain unknown because microbial diversity is high, the coral holobiont is complex, and culture-independent analyses often reveal many disease-enriched candidate bacteria.

What experimental approach was used in this study?

The authors used 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to profile bacterial community changes during a tank-based transmission experiment in the Florida Keys.

Did any bacteria associate with disease resistance in native coral microbiomes?

No significant associations were found between any bacterial ASV, genus, or family and disease resistance among native staghorn coral microbiomes.

Which bacterial ASVs were linked to WBD exposure and transmission?

Nine ASVs were strongly associated with disease outcome in tank experiments, with ASV 65 (Cysteiniphilum litorale) showing strong, consistent associations with WBD transmission and dose-response effects, alongside eight additional disease-associated ASVs.

Sep 29, 2026

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