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GBR - Symbiodinium clade and subclade distribution of the Great Barrier Reef (GCI)

Posted on 07 June 2010

Despite the important role Symbiodinium might play we currently have limited knowledge of the distribution ranges of Symbiodinium on the Great Barrier Reef. In order to increase our knowledge a database of Symbiodinium diversity on the GBR compiled from published papers (see database references) was established as part of a large research program 1.1 entitled “Risk, Resilience and Response Atlas for the Great Barrier Reef: Vulnerability to Coral Bleaching Project Objective.” The goal of project 1.1 is to define the vulnerability of GBR corals to climate change and extend this knowledge along the geographical extent of the GBR. The database presents an overview of the Symbiodinium types that have thus far been found across the GBR and can be accessed through the e-Atlas.

Understanding Symbiodinium diversity and the geographical and environmental ranges of the different host/symbiont combinations will help us provide a better estimate of how vulnerable corals on the GBR are to bleaching.

Linda Tonk

Custodian(s)

Global Change Institute, The University of Queensland

Owner Institution(s)

Clade: a group of biological taxa or species that share features inherited from a common ancestor. In this case the genus Symbiodinium is divided in 9 clades A, B, C, D, E F, G, H, I.

Subclade: a term that is used in genetics to describe a subgroup. Often the different types or strain within a subclade differ only by 1 or 2 nucleotides. The clades (A, B, C, D or G) are accompanied by a number (for example C1) or a number and a letter (for example D1a) to distinguish between the different Symbiodinium types or strains within a subclade.

DNA region: the DNA regions analyzed in order to differentiate betweenSymbiodinium clades and subclades differ in their resolution or in other words their ability to distinguish between different Symbiodinium types.

- ITS1 = Internal Transcribed Spacer 1

- ITS2 = Internal Transcribed Spacer 2

- 18S rRNA = 18S small subunit ribosomal RNA

Data Units

Great Barrier Reef, Japan, Korea Latitude: 4°05'S - 33°35'N, Longitude:114°11'E - 152°06'E

Region & Spatial Extent

1998 - 2006

Data Collection

Data collection is ongoing and will be updated on demand. Data is from one-off surveys.

Maintenance & Update Frequency

Resource Constraints

Data was extracted from the following papers:

Loh et al., 2001; Van Oppen et al., 2001; LaJeunesse et al., 2003; Rodriguez-Lanetty et al., 2003; Ulstrup & Van Oppen, 2003; LaJeunesse et al., 2004a; Fabricius et al., 2004; Van Oppen et al., 2004, 2005a, 2005b; Ulstrup et al., 2006; Sampayo et al., 2007, 2008; Stat et al., 2008; Goulet et al., 2008a, 2008b; Jones et al., 2008; Ulstrup et al., 2008