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Content archived on 2024-05-29

Relationship between living and growing corals and microbial endoliths: parasitism or mutualism

Objective

"Healthy coral reefs are maintained by a balance between constructive (corals growth) and destructive forces (bioerosion). More and more this balance is threatened by human activities. Thus, coastal and insular human populations, physically protected by c ral reefs and dependent on them for food and livelihood, are increasingly in jeopardy. To protect and to manage coral reefs, their functioning and their capacities of adaptation to anthropogenic perturbations have to be understood. Most of studies concentr ate on coral growth and recently on bio-erosion in dead substrates. Bioerosion (by microborers, macroborers, grazers), is present both in live and dead corals. Recent studies revealed the crucial role played by micro-borers in bioerosion and primary production in dead corals. In contrast, their role is poorly known in live corals. Few works suggest that boring fungi are parasites while boring algae are mutualists in live corals giving them better chances to survive to bleaching events and subsequently recover . In parallel, these algae may attract grazers in bleached corals causing damage. Thus, microborers could greatly influence the capacity of damaged and bleached corals to recover. The potential for interference between microborers colonization and development, and coral growth, must be investigated if the overall determinants of coral reef health and accretion are to be understood. Our main goals will be to study (1) in different species of live corals, microborers species, distribution and erosive activity , and (2) in live colonies of Porites compressa at different stages (healthy, bleached, grazed), the interactions between micro-borers and live coral tissues and between micro-borers and grazers under eutrophic vs oligotrophic conditions over six months. This project will take place in Hawaii (HIMB lab) and in New Caledonia (IRD lab) for comparison, in collaboration with Boston University, providing an inter- and multi-disciplinary environment."

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Keywords

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Topic(s)

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Call for proposal

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FP6-2004-MOBILITY-6
See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

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OIF - Marie Curie actions-Outgoing International Fellowships

Coordinator

INSTITUT DE RECHERCHE POUR LE DÉVELOPPEMENT
EU contribution
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Total cost

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Participants (1)

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