Coral reefs are one of the most diverse marine ecosystems on Earth and one of the richest in terms of species interactions. Scleractinian corals are usually the most likely to provide numerous different habitats and to support many symbiotic relationships. However, many other invertebrate groups, such as sponges, bryozoans, and other cnidarians, establish strict symbiotic relationships with other marine organisms. Despite the nature of these relationships—as well as the factors that drive their establishment—being unclear in most cases, a few studies have already shown that some associations may increase the resistance of their hosts to external disturbances. Thus, the potential ability of each member of these diverse symbiotic assemblages to influence the fitness and long-term survival of their hosts bring the coral-associated fauna to the top of the list of coral reef studies. Unfortunately, the widespread degradation of coral reef ecosystems may threaten the existence of the intimate relationships that may go unrecognized complicating our understanding of the intricate networks connecting the fates of reef species. Therefore, this unprecedented loss of biodiversity calls for synergic conservation and monitoring actions aimed at significantly increasing our efforts to search for and describe as much of the diversity of coral-associated organisms as possible, shedding new light on the complex, elusive mechanisms controlling coral reef functioning.

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与珊瑚有关的动物的非凡重要性

珊瑚礁是地球上最多样化的海洋生态系统之一，也是物种相互作用最丰富的海洋生态系统之一。巩膜珊瑚通常最有可能提供许多不同的栖息地并支持许多共生关系。但是，许多其他无脊椎动物群体，例如海绵，苔藓动物和其他刺胞动物，与其他海洋生物建立了严格的共生关系。尽管这些关系的性质以及驱动其建立的因素尚不清楚，但在大多数情况下，一些研究已经表明，某些协会可能会增加其寄主对外部干扰的抵抗力。从而，这些多样的共生组合的每个成员影响其寄主的适应性和长期生存的潜在能力，使与珊瑚有关的动物群成为珊瑚礁研究的重中之重。不幸的是，珊瑚礁生态系统的广泛退化可能威胁到亲密关系的存在，这种亲密关系可能无法得到认识，这使我们对连接礁石物种命运的复杂网络的理解变得复杂。因此，这种前所未有的生物多样性丧失要求采取协同保护和监测行动，旨在大幅度增加我们寻找和描述尽可能多的与珊瑚有关的生物多样性的努力，从而为控制珊瑚礁的复杂，难以捉摸的机制提供了新的思路。运作。珊瑚礁生态系统的广泛退化可能威胁亲密关系的存在，这种亲密关系可能无法得到认识，这使我们对连接礁石物种命运的复杂网络的理解变得复杂。因此，这种前所未有的生物多样性丧失要求采取协同保护和监测行动，旨在大幅度增加我们寻找和描述尽可能多的与珊瑚有关的生物多样性的努力，从而为控制珊瑚礁的复杂，难以捉摸的机制提供了新的思路。运作。珊瑚礁生态系统的广泛退化可能威胁亲密关系的存在，这种亲密关系可能无法得到认识，这使我们对连接礁石物种命运的复杂网络的理解变得复杂。因此，这种前所未有的生物多样性丧失要求采取协同保护和监测行动，旨在大幅度增加我们寻找和描述尽可能多的与珊瑚有关的生物多样性的努力，从而为控制珊瑚礁的复杂，难以捉摸的机制提供了新的思路。运作。