Crustose coralline algae (CCA) are a type of red algae that provide important settlement cues for tropical coral larval recruitment. Their surface microbiome has a role in attracting coral larval settlement; however, it is unknown how their microbiome changes with heating ocean temperatures. This project explores how CCA microbes contribute to host resilience under thermal stress and how heat affects the CCA's ability to recruit coral larvae. This study compares CCA treated with antibiotics gene expression under four different temperatures and their ability to induce coral larval settlement.

The master's student will perform RNA extractions on already collected CCA samples, process the resulting sequencing data, and analyze gene expression results. They will then compare the settlement scores from a previous settlement experiment on how each of the temperature treatments affected coral larval recruitment. 

The student will need basic theoretical knowledge of microbiology, experience in R, and practical molecular biology lab experience, including knowledge of basic lab equipment, aseptic technique, sample management, and DNA extractions. Prior experience in RNA extractions and other computing languages/platforms (python, bash, galaxy) are preferred. The working group's main working language is English, so strong written and spoken English skills are required.