The Plymouth Student Scientist
Document Type
Literature Review
Abstract
The importance of zooxanthellae in marine environments cannot be understated. Their role as a source of nutritive energy to corals underpins the success of reef-building systems worldwide, forming some of the most productive ecosystems on earth. The diversity of these unicellular symbiotic algae, which belong to the genus Symbiodinium, is enormous. Multiple hosts, multiple types of algae and the diverse habitats in which these organisms are found suggests a diverse reservoir of symbiont types in almost every region. This review focuses on the functional and genetic diversity of Symbiodinium, the specificity and flexibility of the host-algal association, and the implications they present. Symbiodinium types vary in their physiological response to environmental changes, and the possibility that hosts may alter their populations of symbiotic algae in response to external change might suggest zooxanthellae influence the ecological resilience of host species. This then raises the question of whether or not these changes are sufficient for hosts to tolerate climate change and other negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems worldwide.
Publication Date
2008-12-01
Publication Title
The Plymouth Student Scientist
Volume
1
Issue
2
First Page
315
Last Page
324
ISSN
1754-2383
Deposit Date
May 2019
Embargo Period
2024-07-03
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Wallen, Jonathan
(2008)
"The Role of Zooxanthellae in Marine Invertebrates,"
The Plymouth Student Scientist: Vol. 1:
Iss.
2, Article 8.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24382/pcf3-4342
Available at:
https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/tpss/vol1/iss2/8
