DOI
10.1128/mSystems.00143-16

Summary
In this publication the researchers examined how the association between prokaryotes and five different Caribbean corals differ across mucus
and tissue habitats. Thanks to a physical and chemical separation of the coral mucus and tissue they were able to demonstrate that each microhabitat harbours a unique reservoir of prokaryotes and that corals with different evolutionary and ecological traits differ across mucus and tissue habitats.
This study demonstrated how coral habitat differentiation enables
highly resolved examination of ecological interactions between corals and
their associated microorganisms and identifies previously unrecognized tissue and mucus associates of Caribbean corals.

Relevance for Complex Systems Knowledge
In this study the researchers tried to entangle and describe the complex prokaryotic population inhabiting Caribbean corals. The ability to examine and describe such complex associations is crucial to target microbial populations that are distinctive of their specific environment, that may otherwise be masked by the sheer microbial diversity associated with all host habitats. This approach may be able to provide considerable insight into the roles prokaryotes play in maintaining or disrupting the health of the coral holobiont.

Point of Strength
The strength of this study is focused on a meticulous spatial separation of coral components in order to identify the core population of each microhabitat.