FUNGI FROM CORAL REEFS (ADDENDUM)

Abstract

In April, Mycological Research News drew attention to two studies on the fungi isolated from coral reefs (Mycological Research106(4): 387, April 2002). Both found that fungi generally encountered in terrestrial environments predominated, and that while numerous isolates could be obtained, the number of species present was somewhat limited. It is always easier to discover something than to find if it has been discovered before. In this case, neither paper mentioned a fascinating study by Kendrick et al. (1982) which investigated fungi from the interior or living corals with a view to identifying ones that might be involved in their bioerosion. These authors discovered 18 species, again mainly from ‘terrestrial’ genera such as Aspergillus, Cladopsorium, and Penicilliu. Further, they demonstrated the presence of microborings attributed to fungal hyphae in the aragonite coral skeletons by light and scanning electron microscopy following plastic infiltration; that the borings were of fungal origin was confirmed by reinoculating samples of the coral Siderastrea siderea with A. versicolor and P. stoloniferum and reproducing the phenomenon in the laboratory. The extent to which such fungi are involved in coral declines, either as causal agents or secondary invaders appears to be a fascinating area for further study, particularly as bacteria rather than fungi have received most attention in relation to coral reef health (Santavy 1995).