Temperature-Regulated Bleaching and Tissue Lysis of Pocillopora damicornis by the Novel Pathogen Vibrio coralliilyticus

摘要: Coral reefs are the most diverse and dynamic tropical subtropical ecosystems on earth, providing substrata shelter for hundreds of thousands species. They renowned their extraordinary natural beauty high productivity. provide an essential source food, tourist income coastal protection from storm damage, erosion flooding many communities, majority which in developing countries. also a potential isolation biologically active metabolites medical value (Sammarco Coll 1988, 1992; Jensen et al. 1996; Koh 1997). Hermatypic corals play key role forming structure coral reefs. The symbiotic association between photosynthetic algae, zooxanthellae, is one primary reasons success these (Sebens 1994). This symbiosis allows animal to exist flourish oligotrophic environments.