The recognition that all macroorganisms live in symbiotic association with microbial
communities has opened up a new field in biology. Animals, plants, and algae are now …

ABSTRACT A paradigm shift has recently transformed the field of biological science;
molecular advances have revealed how fundamentally important microorganisms are to …

Sponges are the oldest known extant animal-microbe symbiosis. These ubiquitous benthic
animals play an important role in marine ecosystems in the cycling of dissolved organic …

Background Sponges are increasingly recognised as key ecosystem engineers in many
aquatic habitats. They play an important role in nutrient cycling due to their unrivalled …

Coral reef ecosystems are exceptionally complex with a myriad of trophic pathways and
consumer relationships. The application of stable isotopes (SIs) offers numerous …

Efficient nutrient cycles mediated by symbiotic microorganisms with their hosts are vital to
support the high productivity of coral reef ecosystems. In these ecosystems, marine sponges …

Mutualistic nutritional symbioses are widespread in marine ecosystems. They involve the
association of a host organism (algae, protists, or marine invertebrates) with symbiotic …

Our understanding of the diverse interactions between hosts and microbes has grown
profoundly over the past two decades and, as a product, has revolutionized our knowledge …

The ability of organisms to combine autotrophy and heterotrophy gives rise to one of the
most successful nutritional strategies on Earth: mixotrophy. Sponges are integral members …

Interest in the ecology of sponges on coral reefs has grown in recent years with mounting
evidence that sponges are becoming dominant members of reef communities, particularly in …