Coral reefs, found in tropical regions, are renowned for their rich biodiversity and their contributions to ecological, cultural, and economic aspects worldwide. The success of coral reefs hinges on the symbiotic partnership between corals and their dinoflagellate algae, from the family Symbiodiniaceae. The algae reside within the coral host’s gastrodermal...
Coral reefs form vast ecosystems in tropical oceans that are hotspots for biodiversity and are economically valuable. The ecological success of coral reefs is made possible by the symbiotic relationship between corals and dinoflagellate algae from the family Symbiodiniaceae. In this symbiosis, the algae are found within host gastrodermal cells...
Climate change and other anthropogenic impacts are threatening the existence of millions of species around the globe. On western continental boundaries, the large-scale secondary process of upwelling, which brings low pH, deoxygenated, high nutrient seawater to the surface, is compounded by climate change, that together could drive some species to...
Reef building corals are the foundation of an entire ecosystem, but they are threatened primarily by rising ocean temperatures due to climate change. Corals depend on a thermally sensitive symbiosis with intracellular dinoflagellates. As oceans warm, this symbiosis is disrupted and results in coral mortality, declining populations and degraded reefs....
Anthropogenic CO₂ emissions are shifting the global climate equilibrium, causing widespread losses in biodiversity. Anthozoan cnidarians are some of the species most vulnerable to environmental change. Environmental stress causes corals and sea anemones to expel their endosymbiotic algae, which constitute a primary source of nutrition for some Anthozoa. Carbonic anhydrase...
Cnidarians and their symbiotic dinoflagellates form a productive mutualism that shapes marine environments. In this symbiosis, dinoflagellate species from the family Symbiodiniacea reside within cnidarian host gastrodermal cells and provide the host with photosynthetically fixed carbon in exchange for host metabolites. This nutritional exchange allows both partners to thrive in...
Coral reefs have become vulnerable to climate change, with mass bleaching events, the loss of symbiotic algae (Symbiodiniaceae), increasing in both frequency and severity. As climate change continues to threaten the persistence and existence of coral reefs around the world, the biggest question posed for coral reefs is “can they...
The symbiotic relationship between cnidarians, such as corals and
sea anemones, and dinoflagellates plays a crucial role in supporting
the diversity and productivity of coral reefs. Critical to the symbiosis
is the recognition process between host and symbiont at the onset
of symbiosis, which involves the host innate immune system....
Coral reproduction is vital to the persistence of coral reefs. Decades of ecological studies have correlated environmental variables, such as temperature and light, to the timing of reproduction in anthozoan cnidarians, including corals and sea anemones. However, elevated temperatures associated with climate change impair reproductive success and threaten the resilience...