Coral reefs edification is based on the formation of a calcium carbonate skeleton by scleractinian corals ad on the symbiotic association that many of them establish with photosynthetic Dinoflagellates from the genus Symbiodinium. (coralcoe.org.au)
Uncovering regulatory genes involved in the scleractinian biomineralization process and their coded proteins is truly a challenge because genetic manipulation methods of mutagenesis are not yet accessible in scleractinian corals. (peerj.com)
Along gradients of normal pH (8.1 — 8.2) to lowered pH (mean 7.8 — 7.9, minimum 7.4 — 7.5), typical rocky shore communities with abundant calcareous organisms shifted to communities lacking scleractinian corals with significant reductions in sea urchin and coralline algal abundance. (climate-resistance.org)