Summary
Stony corals engineer complex reef ecosystems that are vital for biodiversity, food security, tourism economies, and coastal protection. Corals are complex organisms themselves, where the coral animal hosts a variety of symbiotic algae and other microbes (together, referred to as “holobiont” organisms). These mutualistic relationships are primarily driven by nutrient exchange between partners. However, environmental stress can disrupt these associations, leading to coral mortality and reef degradation. While nearly all reef-building corals rely on these symbioses, the flexibility varies across
