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Bacterial Symbionts of Corals and Symbiodinium

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Beneficial Microorganisms in Multicellular Life Forms

Abstract

Multipartite symbiosis in corals is an exciting area of research that is not well studied. Research to date indicates that bacterial associates of corals may protect the host by producing antibiotics and other beneficial compounds and nutrients, and are likely to play a role in the stability of the coral animal as a whole. These bacterial mutualists communicate with the host and host-associated microbes to regulate activities on the coral surface. The influence of bacteria in association with the coral algal endosymbiont (Symbiodinium spp.) and/or the coral host can be very specific and can involve biochemical interactions that affect the behavior of the algal symbiont. This defines a complex symbiosis between the coral, Symbiodinium, and associated bacteria.

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Acknowledgments

I gratefully acknowledge preliminary experimental input from Mote Marine Laboratory student interns Patrick Hutchins, Courtney Kiel, Stephanie Thornton, Roxanna Myers, Carmel Norman, Andrew Collingwood, and Jamie Schell. Todd LaJeunesse and Scott Santos kindly provided Symbiodinium culture information and strains. I thank Koty Sharp, Garriet Smith, John H. Paul, Max Teplitski, John Pringle, Eugene Rosenberg, and Joel Thurmond for their helpful discussions and/or input on this manuscript. Funding for this contribution was provided by Florida Protect Our Reefs Plate Grants and the Dart Foundation.

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  1. Mote Marine Laboratory, Center for Coral Reef Research, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL, 34236, USA

    Kim B. Ritchie

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  1. Kim B. Ritchie
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Correspondence to Kim B. Ritchie .

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  1. , Dept. of Molecular Microbiology and Biot, University of Tel Aviv, Ramat Aviv, 69978, Israel

    Eugene Rosenberg

  2. , Dept. of Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Tel Aviv, Ramat Aviv, 69978, Israel

    Uri Gophna

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Ritchie, K.B. (2012). Bacterial Symbionts of Corals and Symbiodinium. In: Rosenberg, E., Gophna, U. (eds) Beneficial Microorganisms in Multicellular Life Forms. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-21680-0_9

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