Summary
Coral reefs nurture fisheries, protect coastlines, and support rich ecological communities. Reef-building corals depend on microbes living in their tissues to keep them healthy and thriving. This community of microbes – the coral's microbiome – includes algae that provide food and bacteria that promote coral health. Changes in reef conditions can affect the makeup of this microbiome. In coastal regions near coral reefs, environmental stresses have intensified, especially over the past several decades. These changes have impacted coral health. Some corals can live for decades or centuries and h
