18S rDNA amplicon sequence data (V1–V3) of the Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, Central Pacific

To address the global biodiversity crisis, standardized data that are rapidly obtainable through minimally invasive means needed for documenting change and informing conservation within threatened diverse systems, such as coral reefs. In this paper, we describe 18S rRNA gene amplicon (V1–V3 region) generated from samples collected to begin characterizing reef eukaryotic community composition at Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in Central Pacific Ocean. Sixteen were obtained across four sample types: sediments two sieved fractions (100–500 μm, n = 3; 500 μm-2 mm, 3) sessile material scrapings (n Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS) sampled 2015, well seawater 2012 7). After filtering contaminant removal, 3,861 Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs) produced 1,062,238 reads. The rarefaction curves demonstrated adequate sampling depth, communities grouped by type. dominant orders polychaete worms (Eunicida), demosponges (Poecilosclerida), bryozoans (Cheilostomatida). ten most common terms of relative abundance comprised ~60% all sequences 23% ASVs, included reef-building crustose coralline algae (CCA; Corallinophycidae) stony corals (Scleractinia), taxa associated with healthy Highlighting need further study, ~21% ASVs identified uncultured, incertae sedis , or not assigned phylum order. This paper presents first rDNA survey serves a baseline assessment, monitoring, remote pristine ecosystem.