Down to the bone: the role of overlooked endolithic microbiomes in reef coral health

摘要

Spatial structure and physicochemical environment experienced by microbes within the coral skeleton. The close-up depicts a typical skeletal pore populated by a range of autotrophic (green) and heterotrophic microbes (other colours). These organisms typically experience daily fluctuations in pH (from 7.5–8.5) [ ], oxygen (10–210% air saturation) [ ] and light (0–10% of PAR and 0–80% of NIR) [ ]. In addition, they are exposed to enriched levels of dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) and to concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) 10 times higher than in reef water [ , ]. Outline of the coral from [ ]