Corallicolids: The elusive coral-infecting apicomplexans

Abstract

Coral reefs are the poster child for ocean biodiversity-a marine equivalent of the terrestrial tropical rainforest in their scientific importance and public perception. Compared with most of the ocean, coral reefs harbour an incredible variety of biodiversity, and this diversity is also fairly well studied so that many of the basic interactions making up the ecosystem are understood at some level. The foundation of the system is obviously coral, particularly reef-building, scleractinian corals. The calcium carbonate skeletons secreted by these animals are literally the bedrock of the reef and create habitats that other reef creatures depend upon At this macroscopic scale, the importance of coral is intuitive to us. However, it's becoming clear that at another, more abstract level, coral reefs are also supported by diverse microscopic communities, some of which play a direct role in coral health and collectively serve as a different kind of ecological foundation for the reef

Topics & Concepts