The files in this this U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) data release (Kellogg and others, 2021) are the raw 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) gene amplicon deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequence files from 90 samples of tropical and cold-water corals, as well as sequence files from a mock community and extraction blanks for the kits used for DNA extraction. The mock community was sequenced in order to assess any biases in the sequencing technology, while extraction blanks were sequenced in order to identify any contaminants in the DNA extraction kits. The tropical coral samples (three species) were collected by permit (#FKNMS-2017-064) in March 2018 from a nursery in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The cold-water coral samples (two species) were collected in August 2018 from two locations in the Atlantic Ocean.
Coral microbiome preservation and extraction method comparison of samples collected in March and August 2018-raw data