Coral reefs are built by colonial cnidarians that establish a symbiotic relationship with dinoflagellate algae of the genus Symbiodinium. The processes of photosynthesis, calcification, and general metabolism require the transport of diverse ions across several cellular membranes and generate waste products that induce acid/base and oxidative stress. This chapter reviews the current knowledge on coral cell biology with a focus on ion transport and acid/base regulation while also discussing related aspects of coral energy metabolism.
Tresguerres M., Barott K. L., Barron M. E., Deheyn D. D., Kline D. I. & Linsmayer L. B., 2017. Cell biology of reef-building corals: ion transport, acid/base regulation, and energy metabolism. In: Weihrauch D. & O’Donnell M. (Eds.), Acid-base balance and nitrogen excretion in invertebrates: mechanisms and strategies in various invertebrate groups with considerations of challenges caused by ocean acidification, pp. 193-218. Springer International Publishing. Book chapter (subscription required).
