Ritchie, K.B.; Smith, G.W. 1994. Carbon source utilization 
patterns of coral associated marine heterotrophs.  3rd 
International Marine Biotechnology Conference: Program, Abstracts 
and List of Participants. International Advisory Comm. of the 
Int. Marine Biotechnology Conference 1994, Tromsoe Norway TROMSOE 
NORWAY TROMSOE UNIVERSITY 1994 p. 118
 
Very little information exists on the structure of bacterial 
communities associated with scleractinian corals. Interest, 
however, in both community structure and changes in structure, 
has increased due to the realization that bacteria may play a 
major role in certain types of bleaching events. We have 
determined carbon utilization patterns for heterotrophic 
bacterial communities associated with the hard corals Monastrea 
annularis and Acropora cervicornis. Surface samples were taken 
from both healthy and bleached areas of the corals growing off 
the coast of San Salvador Island, Bahamas. Similar population 
shifts were observed in both species during bleaching, and 
results indicate a pathogenic bacterium may be responsible for 
white band disease.