Minimally Invasive Coral Biopsy Technique for In-Situ Microbiome and Metabolome Sampling v1

Climate change and predicted future ocean conditions are threatening coral reefs on a global scale with compositional shifts at the macro and microscopic scale. One way to assess reef health is through studying the coral microbiome and metabolome. Prior coral microbiome and metabolome research methods included biopsying techniques that would use large quantities of tissue leaving large wounds (centimeters wide) that would induce stress, vulnerability to pathogenic disease, and increase recovery time of the scarred areas. Past research methods included using a hammer and chisel, dermal curettes, and more recently, 16-gauge blunt syringe tips for metabolomic studies (Roach et al., 2023). Our modified modern methods require less tissue quantities and allow for faster host recovery time (~2 weeks). The purpose of this protocol is to minimize the tissue needed to accurately assess the coral microbial communities and metabolomic signatures while inducing the least stress to the coral host. This technique is a less invasive approach for future coral microbiome and metabolome research.