Coral Pathogen Kills Competitors in Coral Microbiota via Prophage Induction
Coral is a complicated holobiont , harboring an array of life forms at different scales , including coral cells , zooxanthellae , and associated bacteria , archaea , and viruses .Galaxea fascicularis ( also known as galaxy coral ) is a massive reef-building coral and is common near Hainan Island and the Xi Sha Islands of the South China Sea . The large polyps of galaxy coral resemble a starburst and are tipped in white .Fig . 2 Healthy and unhealthy galaxy coral and members of the coral holobiont ( Image by SCSIO ).