322
(Bourne et al. 2008) and functions (Thurber et al. 2009). However, studies are going
on to acquire knowledge about how coral-bacterial  relationships are affected by
variations in spatial, temporal, and ecological conditions of coral species (Kimes
et al. 2013).
Whether the association of bacteria with corals is specific or nonspecific is the
topic of debate among scientific communities. Many studies report that bacteria
associated with corals are host specific across geographically distant sites (Rohwer
et  al. 2002; Chen et  al. 2011), suggesting that the coral host plays some role in
Fig. 16.4 Structure of coral holobiont
N.P. Patel et al.