In the last 30 years, there has been approximately a 30% loss of corals worldwide, largely due to emerging diseases (Harvell et al., 2002, 2007; Hughes et al., 2003). Coral microbiology is a new field, driven largely by a desire to understand the interactions between corals and their symbiotic microorganisms and to use this knowledge to eventually prevent the spread of coral diseases.

Rosenberg, E., C.A. Kellogg, and F. Rohwer. 2007. Coral microbiology. Oceanography 20(2):146–154, https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2007.60.

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