Anthony M. Bonacolta

Anthony M. Bonacolta

he/him/his

NSERC CPRA Postdoctoral Fellow in the Keeling Lab researching marine protistan symbionts

CV

Education

Research experience

Fellowships & Grants

Publications

  1. Weiler, B. A., Kron, N., Bonacolta, A. M., Vermeij, M. A., Baker, A. C., del Campo, J. (2026) Temporal transcriptional rhythms govern coral-symbiont function and microbiome dynamics. Cell Host & Microbe. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2026.01.004

  2. Bonacolta, A.M. & Keeling, P.J. (2026) Modern microbialites harbor an undescribed diversity of chromerid algae. Environmental Microbiome. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40793-026-00852-4

  3. Bonacolta, A. M., Li, L.*, del Campo, J., Keeling, P. J. (2026) Endosymbiotic apicomplexans of marine holobionts: microbial parasites in a warming ocean. Journal of Integrative and Comparative Biology. https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/icag006

  4. Tulloch, S.*, Estarellas, M., Adams, D. C., Bonacolta, A., …, & Carranza, S. (2026). Comparative skin microbiome analyses reveal differences between wild populations and captive groups of the Montseny brook newt (Calotriton arnoldi). ISME Communications, ycaf245. https://doi.org/10.1093/ismeco/ycaf245

  5. del Campo, J., Bonacolta, A. M., Weiler, B. A., Knowles, B., Apprill, A., Fox, M. D., Wakeman, K. C., Vermeij, M. J. A., Rohwer, F., Keeling, P. J. (2026) Global diversity and distribution of coral-associated protists. Submitted. Pre-print link

  6. Kulikov, N., Joffroy, K., Bonacolta, A. M., del Campo, J., Irisarri, I. (2026) The chromosome-scale genome assembly of the redlip blenny, Ophioblennius macclurei (Blenniidae). Genome Biology and Evolution, 18(1), evaf242. https://doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evaf242

  7. Grimes, C. J., Bonacolta, A. M., Halanych, K. M. (2025). Microbial community composition and functional potential in Annelida from abyssal and hadal zones of the Aleutian trench. Progress in Oceanography, 241, 103643. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pocean.2025.103643

  8. Hurdeal, V. G., Cooney, E. C., Lax, G., Bonacolta, A. M., Keeling, P. J., Fast, N. M. (2025) Single-cell transcriptomics reveals a new marine parasite: characterization and distribution of Rozellomyces from the Gulf of Alaska. Submitted. Pre-print available upon request.

  9. Bonacolta, A. M., Kravitz, T.*, Mozo, R., Baker, L. J., Heuer, R. M., Grosell, M., del Campo, J. Symbiotic bacteria support calcium carbonate precipitation in the Gulf toadfish (Opsanus beta). Submitted. Pre-print link: https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.10.07.681008

  10. Bonacolta, A. M., Krause-Massaguer, J., Unuma, T., del Campo, J. (2025). The sea cucumber-infecting parasite Apostichocystis gudetama gen. nov. sp. nov. expands marine-host-specific clade of apicomplexans. Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology, 72(3), e70013. https://doi.org/10.1111/jeu.70013

  11. Bonacolta, A. M., Weiler, B. A., Grimes, C. J., Trznadel, M., Vermeij, M. J. A., Keeling, P. J., del Campo, J. (2025). Fireworms are a reservoir and potential vector for coral-infecting apicomplexans. The ISME Journal, 19(1), wraf078. https://doi.org/10.1093/ismejo/wraf078

  12. Jacko-Reynolds, V.K., Kwong, W.K., Livingston, S.J., Trznadel, M., Bonacolta, A.M., Lax, G., Shivak, J., Irwin, N.A., Vermeij, M.J., Del Campo, J. and Keeling, P.J. (2025). Phylogenomics of Coral-Infecting Corallicolids Reveal Multiple Independent Losses of Chlorophyll Biosynthesis in Apicomplexan Parasites. Current Biology, 35(5), 1156-1163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2025.01.028

  13. Bonacolta, A. M., Snyder, G. A., Karp, R. F., Yeager, E., Wen, A. D. E., Dennison, C. E., Nonell, J., Traylor-Knowles, N., Baker, A. C., del Campo, J. (2024). Single-Cell Atlas of Coral Bleaching. Submitted. Pre-print link

  14. Bonacolta, A. M., Visscher, P. T., Del Campo, J., & White III, R. A. (2024). The eukaryome of modern microbialites reveals distinct colonization across aquatic ecosystems. npj Biofilms and Microbiomes, 10(1), 78. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41522-024-00547-z

  15. Bonacolta, A. M., Krause-Massaguer, J., Smit, N. J., Sikkel, P. C., & Del Campo, J. (2024). A new and widespread group of fish apicomplexan parasites. Current Biology. 34(12), 2748-2755. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2024.04.084

  16. Bonacolta, A. M., Miravall, J., Gómez‐Gras, D., Ledoux, J. B., López‐Sendino, P., Garrabou, J., … & Del Campo, J. (2024). Differential apicomplexan presence predicts thermal stress mortality in the Mediterranean coral Paramuricea clavata. Environmental Microbiology, 26(1), e16548. https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.16548

  17. Gitter, A., Gidley, M., Mena, K. D., Ferguson, A., Sinigalliano, C., Bonacolta, A., & Solo-Gabriele, H. (2023). Integrating microbial source tracking with quantitative microbial risk assessment to evaluate site specific risk based thresholds at two South Florida beaches. Frontiers in Microbiology, 14, 1210192. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1210192

  18. Bonacolta, A. M., Weiler, B. A., Porta-Fitó, T., Sweet, M., Keeling, P., & del Campo, J. (2023). Beyond the Symbiodiniaceae: diversity and role of microeukaryotic coral symbionts. Coral Reefs, 42(2), 567-577. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-023-02352-0

  19. Bonacolta, A. M., Connelly, M. T., M. Rosales, S., Del Campo, J., & Traylor-Knowles, N. (2021). The starlet sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis, possesses body region-specific bacterial associations with spirochetes dominating the capitulum. FEMS microbiology letters, 368(3), fnab002. https://doi.org/10.1093/femsle/fnab002

  20. Sinigalliano, C., Kim, K., Gidley, M., Yuknavage, K., Knee, K., Palacios, D., Bonacolta, A., …, & Maurin, L. (2021). Microbial source tracking of fecal indicating bacteria in coral reef waters, recreational waters, and groundwater of Saipan by real-time quantitative PCR. Frontiers in Microbiology, 11, 596650. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.596650

Talks

  1. *Bonacolta AM. Apicomplexans in the hot seas (Co-organized symposium). Protistology Open. Prague (Czech Republic). Scheduled for April 2026.
  2. *Bonacolta AM. Endosymbiotic apicomplexans of marine holobionts: microbial parasites in a warming ocean (Invited talk). Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) Annual Meeting. Portland, Oregon (USA). January 2026.
  3. Bonacolta AM. Fireworms are a reservoir and potential vector for coral apicomplexans (corallicolids) (Contributed talk; Parasite Session Chair). XVI International Congress of Protistology / International Society of Protistologists (ICOP/ISOP). Seoul (South Korea). June 2025.
  4. *Bonacolta AM. Endosymbiotic apicomplexans of marine holobionts: bridging ecology and evolution (Invited talk). Departmental Seminar, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology. Onna, Okinawa (Japan). May 2025.
  5. Bonacolta AM. Targeted genomics reveal the diversity and potential ecological impacts of novel apicomplexan lineages (Contributed talk; 2nd prize for best student oral presentation). PSA–ISOP–ISEP Joint Meeting. Seattle, Washington (USA). July 2024.
  6. Weiler BA, Kron N, Bonacolta AM, Baker AC, del Campo J. Coral pathobiome community structure, network dynamics, and expression signatures provide critical context into molecular-based definitions of infectious coral diseases (Contributed talk). European Coral Reefs Symposium. Napoli (Italy) July 2024.
  7. Krause-Massaguer J, Bonacolta AM, Christou M, Porta-Fitó T, del Campo J. Targeted genomics of apicomplexan symbionts in Mediterranean corals (Contributed poster). European Coral Reefs Symposium. Napoli (Italy) July 2024.
  8. Bonacolta AM. Single-cell transcriptomics reveal differential responses of mixed protist symbiont communities and host cells in corals during heat stress (Contributed talk). IX ECOP / ISOP Meeting. Vienna (Austria). July 2023.
  9. Bonacolta AM. Apicomplexans and Syndiniales predict thermal stress response in the Mediterranean coral Paramuricea clavata (Contributed talk). International Society for Evolutionary Protistology (ISEP23). Online. January 2023.
  10. Bonacolta AM. Beyond the zooxanthellae: a multifaceted approach to explore coral-associated microeukaryotes (Contributed talk). International Coral Reef Symposium. Bremen (Germany). July 2022.
  11. Weiler BA, Kellogg CA, Bonacolta AM, Whitson E, del Campo J. A meta-analysis of the published coral microbiome studies (Contributed talk). 14th International Coral Reef Symposium. Bremen (Germany). July 2022.
  12. Bonacolta AM. Analyzing the correlation between microbiome composition and thermal tolerance in Paramuricea clavata (Contributed talk). International Society of Protistologists Summer Seminar Series. Online. September 2021.
  13. Bonacolta AM. Single-cell RNA sequencing of a scleractinian coral to improve understanding of the holobiont’s response to bleaching (Contributed talk). International Coral Reef Symposium. Online. July 2021.
  14. Bonacolta AM. Single-cell transcriptomic sequencing of a coral during the bleaching process (Oral presentation). IDSC Fellowship Capstone Presentation. Miami, Florida (USA). April 2020.
  15. Bonacolta AM. Distinguishing the compartmentalization of the microbiome in the starlet sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis (Contributed poster). RSMAS Undergraduate Research Symposium. Miami, Florida (USA). May 2019.
  16. Bonacolta AM. Assessment of land-based contamination in corals in the Florida Keys using next-generation sequencing and microbial source tracking (Contributed poster). NOAA Hollings Scholarship Symposium. Washington, D.C. (USA). August 2018.
  17. Bonacolta AM. Assessment of land-based contamination in corals in the Florida Keys using next-generation sequencing and microbial source tracking (Contributed poster). Southeast Ecology and Evolution Conference. Miami, Florida (USA). October 2018.

Mentorship

Teaching

Service and leadership

Scientific Society Memberships

Organizational Roles

Peer-review

Misc.