Coral reefs worldwide are increasingly subjected to multiple disturbances, including storm events, thermal anomalies, disease outbreaks and more localized stressors. Climate change is predicted to increase the frequency and severity of tropical cyclones. In 2017, an unprecedented event of two Category 5 hurricanes in rapid succession occurred on St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands. Short-term monitoring (2.5 months after...

Fundamental to holobiont biology is recognising how variation in microbial composition and function relates to host phenotypic variation. Sponges often exhibit considerable phenotypic plasticity and also harbour dense microbial communities that function to protect and nourish hosts. One of the most prominent sponge genera on Caribbean coral reefs is Agelas . Using a comprehensive set of morphological (growth form, spicule), ch...