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Pollution, turbidity and coral bleaching history, as well as coral diversity, vary along the Tanzanian coastline.
Prior to this study, it was not known whether exposure to such environmental variation might have influenced the
diversity and distribution of Symbiodinium along this coastline. Such information can provide insight into whether
Tanzanian reef-building corals develop adaptation to current trends of climate change. Here, 10 reef-building coral
samples were collected from different reefs along the Tanzanian coast with different micro-environments and
bleaching histories. The ITS-2 region of ribosomal DNA was employed in the characterisation of Symbiodinium
harboured by reef-building corals. DGGE fingerprints and DNA sequences showed that most coral species host a
single Symbiodinium type, which is maintained throughout the coast regardless of local environmental differences.
We present polymorphic symbioses in Acropora spp., Millepora sp. and Galaxea fascicularis in mainly turbid and
warm environments as a sign of adaptation to harsh conditions. However, such adaptation may not provide marked
resistance to bleaching because Acropora is a bleaching-susceptible genus. |
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