The use of algal symbiont cultures (Family Symbiodiniaceae) as model systems to study stony coral tissue loss disease: Use of fractionated disease isolates to help with pathogen identification

This research project investigated the role of algal symbionts in SCTLD and explored the use of algal symbiont cultures as model systems for pathogen identification. The research team found they could induce signs of ill health in some strains of symbiont cultures when they exposed them to water that had been taken from around disease corals and then filtered through different size filters. This data supports the idea that algal symbionts may be the primary target of a potential SCTLD pathogen.  Based on the fractionation size that induced disease (0.2um -0.8um), they suggest the pathogen may be a giant virus or small bacterium that is replicating within the algal symbiont.