Comparative analysis of eukaryotic microbial communities associated with Acropora formosa, sediment, and seawater in a coral reef ecosystem of Whale Island, Nha Trang Bay, Vietnam

In this study, eukaryotic microbial communities associated with coral Acropora formosa and its natural surroundings, sediment and seawater, in a coral reef ecosystem of Whale Island, Nha Trang Bay, Vietnam were investigated. First, genetic material was taken from Acropora formosa’s surface mucus layer (SML) as well as the sediment underneath and seawater above the colonies from four different sampling locations in a coral reef ecosystem.