Conclusions
Through complementary studies examining the transcriptomic responses of corals to SCTLD and subsequent antibiotic treatment, we identified a consistent signature of immune responses in both coral species examined. Further, we observed evidence of a reversal in immune responses related to disease exposure when corals were treated with amoxicillin, suggestive of a recovery process that may be occurring at the host level. Continued fate-tracking on treated corals is warranted to determine whether such gene expression patterns continue, with treated corals resembling a healthy, pre-diseased state. Further investigation is also needed for early stages of disease exposure to investigate immune responses associated with lesion formation prior to cell necrosis and death. Such efforts will allow the identification of gene pathways involved in coral and algal responses to SCTLD exposure, similarities (and differences) in immune responses among species, and will facilitate the comparisons of diseased and treated corals to determine the potential for recovery and/or antibiotic resistance following disease intervention efforts.