Coral—the world’s most diverse symbiotic ecosystem

Zooxanthellate corals (i.e. those harbouring Symbiodinium) are the main builders of the world’s shallow-water marine coral reefs. They represent intimate diverse symbioses between coral animals, single-celled photosynthetic dinoflagellates (Symbiodinium spp.), other microscopic eukaryotes, prokaryotes and viruses. Crabs and other crustaceans, worms, sponges, bivalves and hydrozoans, fishe…