Screening Coral Tissue Samples (Colpophyllia natans) Collected From the Florida Keys Using a Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) Antibiotic Resistance Gene Microarray – Raw Data

The files in this data release are those referenced in the journal article by Neely and others (2026) entitled “Assessment of antibiotic resistance genes in Caribbean corals, including those treated with amoxicillin.” They represent the raw fluorescence data and threshold cycle (Ct) data generated from quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) microarray runs using deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) extractions from 12 coral (Colpophyllia natans) samples as templates. These files are produced by the Applied Biosystems StepOnePlus™ Real-Time PCR System Software (version 2.2.2). The coral tissue samples were collected on November 17th, 2022, from Cheeca Rocks in the Florida Keys from depths ranging from 9 to 13 feet (2.7 to 4.0 meters). The samples were collected for the purpose of determining whether there is a higher incidence or diversity of microbial antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) in corals that have previously been treated for stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) with amoxicillin base2B as compared to untreated coral. Tissue samples were preserved in RNAlater, and frozen until shipped for processing.

The frozen coral samples were sent from Nova Southeastern University (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) and received on November 23rd 2022, by the U.S. Geological Survey St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (USGS SPCMSC) Coral Microbial Ecology Laboratory in St. Petersburg, Florida (FL), USA, and immediately frozen at minus twenty degrees Celsius (-20°C) until processing. Microbial DNA extractions from the coral samples were performed on December 13th, 2022, using a Qiagen Dneasy PowerBiofilm kit. All qPCR runs were performed between January and February 2023 on an Applied Biosystems StepOnePlus™ Real-Time PCR System, using Qiagen Microbial DNA qPCR Arrays ARG (BAID-1901ZRC-24), and data files were exported as Microsoft Excel files (.xls) and converted into comma-separated values (.csv) files. The data files were then edited to remove columns that contained no values, or that did not apply to this dataset.

Neely, K.L., Kellogg, C.A., Voelschow, J.J., Cauvin, A.R., Reed, S.A.M., Rubin, E., and Meyer, J.L., 2026, Assessment of antibiotic resistance genes in Caribbean corals, including those treated with amoxicillin: Coral Reefs, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-026-02832-z.