Kim B. Ritchie and Garriet W. Smith.  1995.  Preferential carbon 
utilization by surface bacterial communities from water mass, normal, 
and white-band diseased Acroporal cervicornis.  Molec. Marine Biol. and 
Biotech. 4(4), 345-352.  

Bacterial heterotrophs were isolated from the water mass and from the 
surface mucopolysaccharide layers of normal Acropora cervicornis 
(staghorn coral) and A. cervicornis showing signs of white-band disease.  
Each isolate was exposed to 95 different carbon sources and the 
percentages of isolates from each community were compared with respect 
to their ability to utilize each carbon source.  Six-carbon sugars were 
preferentially metabolized by the white-band community while five-carbon 
sugars were preferentially used by the normal coral community.  More 
organic and amino acids preferentially were oxidized by the white band 
community over the other communities tested.  In addition, pyrimidines, 
glycerol, and phosphorylated compounds also were preferential for the 
white-band community.  This community was less diverse than other 
communities.  These results support previous taxonomic comparisons and 
may yeild insights into the overall pathogenesis of the disease.