Fungi's beneficial effects on coral are not yet fully understood

Corals are at risk of going extinct due to global warming © A.Roik Until now, most studies of fungi have focused on their role in marine disease. But according to research done at EPFL, these fungi may also help protect coral reefs against climate change. Tropical coral reefs are a crucial element in the diversity of marine ecosystems. They help prevent coastal erosion and are home to numerous micro-organisms whose complex interactions have been fascinating scientists for decades. The first such interaction to be studied was the symbiotic relationship between corals and algae, since the tiny algae are easy to view with a microscope. "The products of algae photosynthesis provide corals with much of the sugars they need for growth, thus promoting the formation of coral reefs," says Claudia Pogoreutz, a marine biologist who conducted postdoc research at the Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry within EPFL's School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC). "But other types of microorganisms - like bacteria, viruses and fungi - may be just as important and could also play a significant role in the health and resilience of coral reefs." Now, Pogoreutz focuses her work on marine fungi, whose functional traits are still poorly understood.