Role of bacteria in coral ecosystem
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| Keyword |
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| Author keywords |
Coral bacteriology; Coral bleaching; Holobiont; DGGE; qPCR |
| Authors | | Top |
- Patel, N.P.
- Kumar, S.B.
- Haldar, S.
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| Abstract |
Coral reefs are the most diverse and valuable of all marine ecosystems on earth. This ecosystem is often called the rainforests of the sea due to its diversity. It provides enormous benefits to the human and its surrounding community. But the increase in industrialization, urbanization, and mechanization has led to the decline in coral health which ultimately affects the productivity and sustainability of the reef ecosystem. Thus, there is an increasing interest in the field of coral ecology in the last few decades driven by the desire to understand the biology of coral animal for its protection. Remarkable progress has been made in understanding the coral holobiont of the reef ecosystem. The role of dinoflagellate in coral holobiont has been studied very well, but the role of coral-associated bacteria in holobiont is not clearly understood in spite many scientific studies. Bacterial diversity associated with coral holobionts is known to act both as drivers and indicators of disturbances in the coral reef ecosystem due to their short generation time. Conversely, to the health benefits the bacteria provide to the coral host, certain bacteria in conditions of environmental stress cause coral bleaching and other diseases. Thus, understanding the bacteriology of coral holobiont may help in preventing the worldwide destruction of coral reefs. Moreover, these studies may lead to the discovery of novel product with commercial importance. For this reason, the chapter aims to review the abundance and diversity of bacteria associated with healthy and diseased corals and their role in coral health. We are also discussing the recent technologies used in the study of coral-associated bacterial diversity and their role in structuring coral ecosystem. |
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