Aug 18, 2020
The phylum of cnidarians
includes corals, anemone and jellyfish and these species' symbiotic
relationship with algae is a classic example of relationships in
nature ecology and evolution. Professor Munoz studies their
coevolution in her broader field of biology and the evolution of
marine life.
She discusses
Monica Medina Munoz is a
professor of biology at Penn State and a Principal Investigator.
She studies this symbiosis between cnidarians and algal and
bacterial symbionts. She explains how the cnidarian host and
dinoflagellate algae microorganisms, which are unicellular and
photosynthetic, exemplify the coevolution of marine life.
The algae are endosymbiotic, living inside the host tissue. They
transfer their photosynthetic by products to their host and in turn
have a place to live and photosynthesize. This interaction gives a
species like coral the energy to build the reef where they life and
the algae also gives the coral their colors
She explains more of this
marine ecosystem, how the host can't life without the symbiont
for very long, which explains the phenomenon knowns as coral
bleaching. When the water temperature gets too hot, the symbiosis
breaks down. This is a facultative symbiosis from the algal
perspective but an obligate symbiosis from the host
perspective.
She also explains how the dinoflagellate make their way into their
host and the physiology of the two together. She explains some
cutting edge studies into whether there are microbial symbionts as
important as the algae.
The best way to find out more is
to check out her lab website, medinalab.org/new/, and follow her on twitter with the
handle @momedinamunoz.
Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK