Multi-omics data of a weedy coral species from Ulithi Atoll (Micronesia) to investigate the impact of human disturbance on coral health and resilience

Abstract

BackgroundCoral reefs are among the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth yet face an increasing risk of collapse under climate change and intensifying anthropogenic pressures. Although there is strong evidence that stressors such as overfishing, sedimentation, and wastewater runoff can drive shifts in coral community structure, few studies have investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying these shifts. Integrating data across multiple layers of biological organization, from the genome to the proteome and metabolome, offers a powerful approach to understanding how coral physiology and resilience are impacted by human activities. FindingsHere, we present high-coverage whole genome sequencing (Montipora only) together with untargeted metabolomic and proteomic datasets from three coral genera (Acropora, Pocillopora, and Montipora) that inhabit Ulithi Atoll, Yap State, FSM. Ulithi Atoll is an ideal system for investigating how anthropogenic pressures influence coral molecular ecology and adaptation, with extensive historical ecological data available through the long-term research program of the One People One Reef collaborative to connect multi-omics data with macroecological trends. Following data cleaning and quality control, all datasets exhibited minimal technical variation among samples, providing a comprehensive baseline for future research on coral resilience across a mosaic of natural and anthropogenic stressors. ConclusionsThese data provide a resource for examining how anthropogenic pressures influence coral physiology and resilience across environmental gradients. They also allow the identification of biomarkers of chronic stress that may inform the development of point-of-care diagnostic tools for coral health and contribute to evidence-based reef conservation and management strategies.