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The Coral Reef Ecosystem

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Fungi in Coastal and Oceanic Marine Ecosystems

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Abstract

Coral reefs are a highly productive and biologically diverse ecosystem. Hyphae of endolithic fungi, mostly belonging to facultative marine fungi, pervade coral skeleton and cause bioerosion. A high diversity of thraustochytrids, chytrids, ascomycetes, and basidiomycetes with many novel lineages live on and within corals as well as in coral mucus. Ascomycete members of the family Koralionastaceae are obligate, marine, corallicolous fungi. Fungi may be mutualistic with corals. Adverse environmental conditions may trigger endolithic fungi to become parasitic in corals by disturbing the equilibrium of commensalism or mutualism. Fungi also inhabit healthy and diseased gorgonian or soft corals. Aspergillus sydowii is the causal agent of a widespread disease called aspergillosis in the sea fan Gorgonia. A number of fungi live in sponges, numbers and diversity of which may vary with host species and geographical locations. Malassezia and other yeasts are frequent inhabitants of sponges. Some may be associated with sponges through their entire life cycle, probably in a mutualistic manner.

We would shout and swim about, The coral that lies beneath the waves Oh what joy for every girl and boy, Knowing they’re happy and they’re safe

Ringo Starr—Beatles: Octopus’ Garden

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  1. Formerly of CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Vainguinnim Valley, Dona Paula, Goa, India

    Seshagiri Raghukumar

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Raghukumar, S. (2017). The Coral Reef Ecosystem. In: Fungi in Coastal and Oceanic Marine Ecosystems. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54304-8_9

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