Reconstructing the dynamics of past coral endosymbiotic algae communities using coral ancient DNA (coraDNA)

The analysis of ancient DNA extracted from a coral core of the species Porites lobata has, for the first time, allowed researchers to trace the evolution of endosymbiotic algal communities associated with a single colony over a century. The study reveals a general stability in symbiotic communities. However, a major shift was observed during an extreme winter warming event in 2010, followed by a recovery of these communities.

These findings demonstrate that ancient DNA reveals the temporal dynamics of host/symbiont interactions in corals over the past century and open new perspectives on the microevolution of corals in response to contemporary climate change.