Dr. Kellogg provided background about her research on coral diseases and deep-sea corals, and why understanding the microbiology of corals is important for sustaining reef ecosystems.
Dr. Christina Kellogg was interviewed and featured in an article by the American Society for Microbiology
On June 8, 2022 Dr. Kellogg was interviewed and quoted by the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) in their newsletter Microcosm, which is available to ASM members and was also quoted in an article available to the public titled, “A Community Approach to Coral Conservation.” Dr. Kellogg stressed that the propagation of coral diseases can threaten entire reefs, which can have devastating effects for marine ecosystems, as well as lives and property. Coral reefs not only support marine biodiversity, but also serve as the first line of protection from strong waves and storms for coastal communities. Better understanding the baseline microbial communities on coral reefs can help to determine which microbes may cause disease when they come along—a critical first step in determining disease treatment and prevention measures. The article stresses the importance of both the symbiotic relationships of corals, but also the partnerships between organizations—like federal agencies and universities—working together to understand and solve these environmental problems.
Dr. Kellogg leads the coral microbial ecology laboratory at the U.S. Geological Survey St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, where she studies the microbiomes and environments of tropical and cold-water corals. Some of her most recent work includes developing methods investigate waterborne coral diseases and working with partners at the Smithsonian to identify the causative agent of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD).
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- Science
USGS Role in DEEP SEARCH: Deep Sea Exploration to Advance Research on Coral, Canyon, and Cold-seep Habitats
USGS scientists are collaborating with multiple agencies to provide the esssential foundation for understanding these deep-sea environments.DISCOVRE: Diversity, Systematics and Connectivity of Vulnerable Reef Ecosystems
DISCOVRE (DIversity, Systematics and COnnectivity of Vulnerable Reef Ecosystems) is an integrated, multidisciplinary, international effort investigating the unique and fragile deep-sea coral environments from the microscopic level to the ecosystem level.Microbial Processes on Reefs
The microbial community on coral reefs is generally underappreciated given the ubiquity, abundance, complexity, and formative role these prokaryotes serve in the metabolic and chemical processes on reefs. We use microbiological and metagenomic techniques to decipher the roles the microbial community are playing in processes such as coral disease, submarine groundwater discharge, calcification, and...Coral Reef Ecosystem Studies (CREST)
The specific objectives of this project are to identify and describe the processes that are important in determining rates of coral-reef construction. How quickly the skeletons of calcifying organisms accumulate to form massive barrier-reef structure is determined by processes of both construction (how fast organisms grow and reproduce) and destruction (how fast reefs break down by mechanical... - Data
Cold-water Coral Microbiomes (Anthothela spp.) from Baltimore and Norfolk Canyons: Raw and Processed Data
The files in this data release are the raw and processed DNA sequence files referenced in the journal article by Lawler and others (2016) titled "Coral-Associated Bacterial Diversity is Conserved across Two Deep-Sea Anthothela Species." They represent a 16S rRNA gene amplicon survey of the coral's microbiome completed using Roche 454 pyrosequencing with titanium reagents. Baltimore and Norfolk CanBacterial Communities Shed by Montastraea cavernosa Coral Fragments into Filtered Seawater Mesocosms-Raw Data
The files in this data release contain an amplicon sequence variant (ASV) table and the raw 16S rRNA gene amplicon files from six 0.22-micron size fractions of tangential flow filtration-concentrated microbial communities (Mcav17, Mcav18, McH-101, McH-103, McD-57, and McD-58) derived from mesocosms consisting of filtered seawater in which either healthy or diseased fragments of Montastraea cavernoCold-water Coral Microbiomes (Acanthogorgia spp. Desmophyllum dianthus, and Lophelia pertusa) from the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean off the Southeast Coast of the United States-Raw Data
The files in this data release are the raw 16S rRNA gene amplicon DNA sequence files from 28 samples of deep-sea corals Acanthogorgia aspera, Acanthogorgia spissa, Desmophyllum dianthus, and Lophelia pertusa, as well as an extraction blank for the Qiagen PowerBiofilm kit used for DNA extraction. The samples were collected during four research cruises from various locations in the Gulf of Mexico an - Publications
Combining tangential flow filtration and size fractionation of mesocosm water as a method for the investigation of waterborne coral diseases
The causative agents of most coral diseases today remain unknown, complicating disease response and restoration efforts. Pathogen identifications can be hampered by complex microbial communities naturally associated with corals and seawater, which create complicating “background noise” that can potentially obscure a pathogen’s signal. Here, we outline an approach to investigate waterborne coral diAuthorsJames S. Evans, Valerie J. Paul, Blake Ushijima, Christina A. KelloggUnexpected diversity of Endozoicomonas in deep-sea corals
ABSTRACT: The deep ocean hosts a large diversity of azooxanthellate cold-water corals whose associated microbiomes remain to be described. While the bacterial genus Endozoicomonas has been widely identified as a dominant associate of tropical and temperate corals, it has rarely been detected in deep-sea corals. Determining microbial baselines for these cold-water corals is a critical first step toAuthorsChristina A. Kellogg, Zoe A. PratteComparison of preservation and extraction methods on five taxonomically disparate coral microbiomes
All animals are host to a multitude of microorganisms that are essential to the animal’s health. Host-associated microbes have been shown to defend against potential pathogens, provide essential nutrients, interact with the host’s immune system, and even regulate mood. However, it can be difficult to preserve and obtain nucleic acids from some host-associated microbiomes, making studying their micAuthorsZoe A. Pratte, Christina A. KelloggPhyloChip™ microarray comparison of sampling methods used for coral microbial ecology
Interest in coral microbial ecology has been increasing steadily over the last decade, yet standardized methods of sample collection still have not been defined. Two methods were compared for their ability to sample coral-associated microbial communities: tissue punches and foam swabs, the latter being less invasive and preferred by reef managers. Four colonies of star coral, Montastraea annularisAuthorsChristina A. Kellogg, Yvette M. Piceno, Lauren M. Tom, Todd Z. DeSantis, David G. Zawada, Gary L. Andersen - News
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