Cyanobacteria have multifaceted ecological roles on coral reefs. Moorena bouillonii, a chemically rich filamentous cyanobacterium, has been characterized as a pathogenic organism with an unusual ability to overgrow gorgonian corals, but little has been done to study its general growth habits or its unique association with the snapping shrimp Alpheus frontalis. Quantitative benthic surveys, and field and photographic observations were utilized to develop a better understanding of the ecology of these species, while growth experiments and nutrient analysis were performed to examine how this cyanobacterium may be benefiting from its shrimp symbiont. Colonies of M. bouillonii and A. frontalis displayed considerable habitat specificity in terms of occupied substrate. Although found to vary in abundance and density across survey sites and transects, M. bouillonii was consistently found to be thriving with A. frontalis within interstitial spaces on the reef. Removal of A. frontalis from cyanobacterial colonies in a laboratory experiment altered M. bouillonii pigmentation, whereas cyanobacteria-shrimp colonies in the field exhibited elevated nutrient levels compared to the surrounding seawater.

蓝细菌在珊瑚礁上具有多方面的生态作用。沼藻沼藻（Moorena bouillonii）是一种化学含量丰富的丝状蓝细菌，其特征在于是一种致病性生物，具有超强的繁殖珊瑚的能力，但很少研究其一般的生长习性或与鳄梨额叶对虾的独特联系。利用定量底栖动物调查以及野外和摄影观察来更好地了解这些物种的生态，同时进行了生长实验和营养分析以检查这种蓝细菌如何从其虾共生体中受益。肉毒杆菌和额叶菌的菌落在被占领的底物方面显示出可观的栖息地特异性。虽然发现的丰富性和跨调查点和断面密度变化，M. bouillonii被不断发现与兴旺A.额在礁石间隙空间内。在实验室实验中，从蓝细菌菌落中去除额叶土壤杆菌改变了肉毒杆菌的色素沉着，而与周围海水相比，该领域的蓝细菌虾菌落显示出更高的营养水平。