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Development of Astrangia poculata as a model system
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Corals are a part of a multi-partner symbiosis known as a holobiont. The holobiont consists of the host coral, photosynthetic dinoflagellate symbiont, and a diverse microbiome consisting of various microbial eukaryotes, prokaryotes, and viruses. Understanding the dynamics amongst these partners is complicated in tropical corals due to their obligate relationship with their dinoflagellate symbionts (they must maintain this symbiont to survive) and the fact that many tropical corals are facing declines due to the impacts of global climate change. However, temperate, facultatively symbiotic corals, like Astrangia poculata offer us an alternative for studying the dynamics of these symbiotic relationships.
MEET OUR MODEL
Astrangia poculata
Astrangia poculata is a temperate coral with a geographic range spanning from the southern coast of Cape Cod through the Gulf of Mexico (see map at below). Unlike tropical corals, Astrangia exhibits a facultative relationship with it's dinoflagellate symbiont, Breviolum psygmophilum. This faculatative relationship means it can survive with both high (brown) and low (white) densities of its symbiont with no apparent cost to its fitness. The natural existence of white and brown colonies without stress allows us to better investigate and understand the dynamics of the coral-dinoflagellate symbiosis
As a member of Dr. Koty Sharp's lab at Roger Williams University (Bristol, RI), I worked as a research student on multiple project with the overarching goal of establishing Astrangia poculata as a model system for studying coral-microbe symbioses. These projects included establishment and evaluation of husbandry protocols for maintaining A. poculata colonies in the lab, as well as development and evaluation of sell separation protocols to enable 'omics work on various parts of the holobiont. The bulk of my research while in Dr. Sharp's lab however focused on completing the A. poculata life cycle in captivity.
The work on completing the A. poculata life cycle in captivity is still ongoing and I am lucky to continue to be apart of that research to this day including having been able to attend the annual spawnfest every year since my undergraduate graduation!
For more information on the research going on in the Sharp Lab at Roger Williams University, check out their website here!
Where in the world is Astrangia?
Astrangia poculata has a wide geographics range along the east coast of the United States extending from the southern coast of Cape Cod, MA to the Gulf of Mexico (Corpus Christi, TX)
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