Bleaching Resistance and the Role of Algal Endosymbionts

Abstract

Coral reefs are among the most diverse and ecologically important biomes on the planet. Most coral species rely on the partnership with dinoflagellates of the genus Symbiodinium for survival due to an obligate nutritional symbiosis. Although this symbiosis has been studied for years, only recently has the taxonomic and functional richness of this genus begun to be explored with the advent of molecular techniques. This chapter reviews the taxonomic, physiological and biogeographic diversity of Symbiodinium and examines how changes in the relative abundance and/or acquisition of different Symbiodinium taxa may or may not provide an avenue for the coral host to acclimate or adapt to changing en..