Animal–Symbiodinium Symbioses: Foundations of Coral Reef Ecosystems

Abstract

A variety of animal taxa have benefited from symbioses with photoau-totrophic symbionts that provide fixed carbon in exchange for nutrients and highlight habitats. Corals are one such animal lineage, harboring dinoflagellates in the genus Symbiodinium. This genus has remarkably high genetic diversity that translates into morphological, cellular, physiological, and even host infectivity differences. Many corals acquire their symbionts as larvae or recruits upon settlement on the reef, likely from local populations of Symbiodinium present in the sediment.