Cnidarian Development is Modulated by Algal Symbionts

Dinoflagellate algae in the genus Symbiodinium establish a symbiotic relationship with a broad range of marine organisms including diverse cnidarian lineages. We have examined the onset of Symbiodinium symbiosis between several scleractinian coral species as well as the jellyfish Cassiopeia xamachana. The cnidarian hosts exhibit different levels of specificity when exposed to divergent Symbiodinium species. The uptake of these different species has consequences on rates of development and metamorphosis and it can now be correlated to changes in transcriptome response.