Marine Symbioses: Metazoans and Microbes

Marine symbioses occur between a diverse array of marine organisms and can be found in every marine ecosystem on the planet. Mutualistic associations involving marine animals and their microbial symbionts provide the foundation for many of these ecosystems, including coral reefs and hydrothermal vents. This article describes the unique and interesting characteristics of these, and many other, intimate associations in the marine environment.