The document summarizes a study analyzing the morphology of zooxanthellae communities in two coral species, Montastraea cavernosa and Pseudodiploria clivosa, using FlowCAM imaging. Densities of zooxanthellae cells per square centimeter of coral tissue were measured and compared between traditional and FlowCAM methods at three sites. FlowCAM allowed for higher resolution analysis of cell volumes and chlorophyll content. Future work will involve next generation sequencing to characterize zooxanthellae clades associated with each coral species.

1. Morphological analysis
of zooxanthellae
communities via
FlowCAM
Maureen Williams and Dr. Joshua Voss
Robertson Coral Reef Program
Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University
Benthic Ecology Meeting 2015
@MoDubs11

10. Montastraea cavernosa Pseudodiploria clivosa

13. Coral
Tissue
Zoox

14. Coral
Tissue
Zoox

15. Klepac et al. 2014

16. ZooxanthellaeDensity
(Zoox.cells/cm2ofCoralTissue)
0
2
4
6
8
P. clivosa
M. cavernosa
North Ledge Central South
Chlorophylla
(picogra
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

21. Density

22. Density

23. Density
M. cavernosa

24. Density
M. cavernosa

25. North Ledge Central South
ZooxanthellaeDensity
(Zoox.cells/cm2ofCoralTissue)
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
P. clivosa Trad.
P. clivosa Flow.
M. cavernosa Trad.
M. cavernosa Flow.

26. North Ledge Central South
ZooxanthellaeDensity
(Zoox.cells/cm2ofCoralTissue)
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
P. clivosa Trad.
P. clivosa Flow.
M. cavernosa Trad.
M. cavernosa Flow.

27. North Ledge Central South
ZooxanthellaeDensity
(Zoox.cells/cm2ofCoralTissue)
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
P. clivosa Trad.
P. clivosa Flow.
M. cavernosa Trad.
M. cavernosa Flow.

28. North Ledge Central South
ZooxanthellaeDensity
(Zoox.cells/cm2ofCoralTissue)
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
P. clivosa Trad.
P. clivosa Flow.
M. cavernosa Trad.
M. cavernosa Flow.

29. Montastraea cavernosa Pseudodiploria clivosa
Clade C Clade B
Larger Cell Volumes
More Chlorophyll per Cell
More Cells per Tissue Area

31. Next Generation Sequencing

32. Acknowledgements
The Voss Laboratory
Dr. Dennis Hanisak
Kristen Davis
Jeff Beal
Dr. Joshua Voss
Lisa Johnson Cohen
Ashley Sproles