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Biology of Symbiotic Dinoflagellates (Symbiodinium) in Corals

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Marine Protists

Abstract

The chapter summarizes the diversity and ecology of zooxanthellae, especially focusing on the dinoflagellate genus Symbiodinium. Symbiodinium spp. are known to engage in mutual symbioses with a wide variety of marine invertebrates (e.g., corals) and protists, in both tropical and temperate waters. Because of an increasing awareness of “coral bleaching” (death of corals due to loss of symbiotic algae), there have been many investigations into Symbiodinium and coral interactions. In this chapter, the taxonomy and general ecology of Symbiodinium are initially described, followed by recent genetic classification systems, which have contributed to a clearer understanding of Symbiodinium diversity and its host specificity. Finally, mechanisms of both symbiotic initiation and breakdown in association with corals are highlighted, to predict the future of coral reef ecosystems in the changing ocean environments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Center for Subtropical Fisheries, Seikai National Fisheries Research Institute, Fisheries Research Agency, 148-446 Fukai-Ohta, Ishigaki, Okinawa, 907-0451, Japan

    Hiroshi Yamashita

  2. Graduate School of Biosphere Science, Hiroshima University, 1-4-4 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, 739-8528, Japan

    Kazuhiko Koike

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  1. Hiroshi Yamashita
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  2. Kazuhiko Koike
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Correspondence to Kazuhiko Koike .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Takehara Marine Science Station, Setouchi Field Science Center, Graduate School of Biosphere Science, Hiroshima University, Takehara, Hiroshima, Japan

    Susumu Ohtsuka

  2. Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan

    Toshinobu Suzaki

  3. Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan

    Takeo Horiguchi

  4. Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan

    Noritoshi Suzuki

  5. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifi que – CNRS, University Pierre and Marie Curie – UPMC Station Biologique de Roscoff, Roscoff, France

    Fabrice Not

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Yamashita, H., Koike, K. (2015). Biology of Symbiotic Dinoflagellates (Symbiodinium) in Corals. In: Ohtsuka, S., Suzaki, T., Horiguchi, T., Suzuki, N., Not, F. (eds) Marine Protists. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-55130-0_17

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