Coral microbiome dynamics, functions and design in a changing world

Corals associate not only with dinoflagellates, which are their algal endosymbionts and which have been extensively studied over the past four decades, but also with a variety of other microorganisms. The coral microbiome includes dinoflagellates, viruses, fungi, archaea and bacteria, with knowledge...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature reviews. Microbiology 2019-09, Vol.17 (9), p.557-567
Main Authors: van Oppen, Madeleine J. H., Blackall, Linda L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
631/158/2446/837
631/326/171/1878
631/326/2565/2134
631/326/41/2535
631/326/41/547
Acclimatization
Adaptation, Physiological
Algae
Animals
Anthozoa - microbiology
Archaea
Bacteria
Bacteria - classification
Bacteria - growth & development
Bacteria - isolation & purification
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Climate change
Climatic changes
Coral reef conservation
Coral reefs
Coral reefs and islands
Corals
Dinoflagellata
Dinoflagellates
Endosymbionts
Fungi
Global Warming
Host Microbial Interactions
Infectious Diseases
Life Sciences
Medical Microbiology
Microbiology
Microbiomes
Microbiota
Microorganisms
Parasitology
Restoration
Review Article
Virology
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Summary:Corals associate not only with dinoflagellates, which are their algal endosymbionts and which have been extensively studied over the past four decades, but also with a variety of other microorganisms. The coral microbiome includes dinoflagellates, viruses, fungi, archaea and bacteria, with knowledge of the latter growing rapidly. This Review focuses on the bacterial members of the coral microbiome and draws parallels with better-studied microbiomes in other biological systems. We synthesize current understanding of spatial, temporal and host-specific patterns in coral-associated bacterial communities, the drivers shaping these patterns, and the role of the microbiome in acclimatization and adaptation of the host to climate warming. We discuss how this knowledge can be harnessed to assist the future persistence of coral reefs and provide novel perspectives for the development of microbiome engineering and its implications for coral reef conservation and restoration. Coral reefs are threatened by climate change; one avenue to address this threat is to understand and manipulate the microbial partners of corals. In this Review, van Oppen and Blackall discuss the bacteria found in the coral microbiome and their roles.
ISSN:1740-1526
1740-1534
DOI:10.1038/s41579-019-0223-4