Symbiotic state mitigates oxybenzone lethality in Aiptasia, a model for coral-algal symbiosis - Livestream

Coral reefs are one of the most biologically productive and diverse ecosystems, directly sustaining half a billion people. However, they are under threat at the global level by anthropogenically-driven climate change and at the local level by overfishing, coastal development, and water pollution. Over the past decade, a growing body of evidence has demonstrated that organic UV filters (such as oxybenzone) found in sunscreen and personal care products are harmful to corals. A reef-building coral is a complex holobiont; the cnidarian animal with endosymbiotic dinoflagellate algae (family Symbiodinaceae) and associated microbiome. To investigate the mechanism of oxybenzone toxicity, we utilized the coral model Aiptasia (sensu Exaiptasia pallida), a symbiotic sea anemone. By interrogating each partner in isolation and then together in symbiosis, we find that the symbiotic state helps mitigate the toxicity of oxybenzone and propose a mechanism through metabolism by Symbiodinaceae algae.

Speaker:   Lorraine Ling, Postdoctoral Scholar, Stanford University

See weblink for livestream information