Chemical Mechanisms of Disease Resistance in Hawai’ian Corals Deborah Gochfeld 1, Greta Aeby 2, Jesse Miller 1 1 National Institute of Undersea Science and Technology, University of Mississippi 2 Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology

Occurrence of infectious disease Host Pathogen Environment

Occurrence of infectious disease Host Pathogen Environment Antimicrobial defense

Occurrence of infectious disease Host Pathogen Environment Antimicrobial defense

Objectives 1) Assess differences in antimicrobial activity among three dominant Hawai’ian coral genera. 2) Assess population-level variability in antimicrobial activity of common coral species from three different sites. 3) Assess differences in antimicrobial activity and chemical constituents in healthy and diseased colonies of the same species. MontiporaPoritesPocillopora

General Methods 1) Collect replicate pieces of three common coral genera (Montipora, Pocillopora, Porites) from three sites on Oahu 2) Extract corals is aqueous solvents 3) Test extracts in antimicrobial assays to determine genus- and population-level variability in antimicrobial activity

Species of bacteria used to test coral extracts

Progress Since May Collected replicate corals from three sites around Oahu: Waianae, Maile Beach, Kaneohe Bay Extracted corals for assays Porites lobata (n=5 from each of 3 sites) Pocillopora meandrina (n=5 from each of 3 sites) Montipora capitata (n=5 from each of 3 sites) Collected and extracted healthy and diseased tissues from diseased Montipora capitata from Kaneohe Bay, along with healthy neighbor controls (n=5 of each) Performed growth inhibition assay of all aqueous extracts from Porites lobata and Pocillopora meandrina against 9 bacterial strains. Performed growth inhibition assay on extracts from healthy, diseased and control Montipora capitata from Kaneohe Bay to determine whether further chemical fingerprinting is warranted

Objectives 1) Assess differences in antimicrobial activity among dominant Hawai’ian coral genera. 2) Assess population-level variability in antimicrobial activity of common coral species from different sites. 3) Assess differences in antimicrobial activity and chemical constituents in healthy and diseased colonies of the same species.

Anti-microbial activity of Hawaiian reef corals P. lobata N=15

Anti-microbial activity of Hawaiian reef corals P. meandrina N=15

Intraspecific variability in antimicrobial activity

Intraspecific variability in disease resistance in corals

Objectives 1) Assess differences in antimicrobial activity among dominant Hawai’ian coral genera. 2) Assess population-level variability in antimicrobial activity of common coral species from different sites. 3) Assess differences in antimicrobial activity and chemical constituents in healthy and diseased colonies of the same species.

Site differences in antimicrobial activity of corals

land based pollution stress defense novel pathogens water flow inoculums repetitive exposure increased water temperature

Objectives 1) Assess differences in antimicrobial activity among dominant Hawai’ian coral genera. 2) Assess population-level variability in antimicrobial activity of common coral species from different sites. 3) Assess differences in antimicrobial activity and chemical constituents in healthy and diseased colonies of the same species. Montipora white syndrome

Comparison of antimicrobial activity in healthy vs. diseased colonies Healthy neighbor Higher levels of antimicrobials? Induced defenses?

Effect of extracts from healthy & diseased Montipora capitata on growth of bacteria

Conclusions Host Pathogen Environment Broad spectrum antimicrobial activity Intraspecific variability Differences within coral species among sites Differences between healthy and diseased colony

Acknowledgements Collections (Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology) Megan Colwin Lian Zigterman Casper Lazet Sample Processing and Assays (University of Mississippi) Shellie Bailey Amy Katzenmeyer Lauren Wheeler