Note
We compared the Caribbean reef sponge, Axinella corrugata, with the Caribbean reef coral,Erythropodium caribaeorum for differences in their resident microbial communities. This cursory survey ofbacterial diversity applied 16S rRNA gene sequences. Over 100 culture-independent sequences were generatedfrom five different Axinella 16S rRNA libraries, and compared with 69 cultured isolates. The cultureindependent16S rDNA clones displayed a higher diversity of Proteobacteria, including “uncultured” or“unknown” representatives from the Deltaproteobacteria. Arcobacterium, and Cyanobacteria were also found.