Genome Biology of the Coral Holobiont: Tales from Caribbean Reefs

Genomic approaches have greatly enhanced the understanding of the molecular underpinnings of scleractinian corals, their algal symbionts, and their microbial and viral communities (i.e. the coral holobiont). As the field of coral reef genomics grows, there is a need for data integration across taxa, levels of biological organization, and different ocean basins. Physiological and ontogenetic data, combined with genomic approaches, have enabled us to start developing a biological model of health states for the species Montastraea faveolata. I will discus recent findings and how interactions among the members seem to be shaping holobiont function.