Interactions in the reef
Coral reefs belong to the ecosystems with the highest biodiversity on Earth. The many different organisms inhabiting coral reefs are in constant competition for space and interact and influence each other. To date, it is not clear whether these interactions affect the phenotype and physiology of the organisms or how these processes are mediated. We currently address these questions in projects focusing on the interactions between stony corals and macroalgae and between stony corals and soft corals.
Images: Coral reef organisms competing for light and space. Image source: Maren Ziegler
Highlighted publications
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Engelhardt-Stolz KE, Vetter J, Wiederkehr F, Hartwig C, Platz TC, Klinkenbuß D, Sunagawa S, Schäberle TF, Ziegler M. 2026. Biodiversity affects the exometabolomes of four benthic functional groups in coral reefs. Coral Reefs. DOI: 10.1007/s00338-026-02849-4.
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Vetter J, Reichert J, Dietzmann A, Hahn L, Lang AE, Puntin G, Ziegler M. 2025. Species identity and composition affect the productivity of stony corals. Coral Reefs. 10.1007/s00338-025-02748-0.
- Wiederkehr F, Engelhardt KE, Vetter J, Ruscheweyh H-J, Salazar G, O’Brien J, Priest T, Ziegler M, Sunagawa S. 2025. Host-level biodiversity shapes the dynamics and networks within the coral reef microbiome. ISME Communications:ycaf097. 10.1093/ismeco/ycaf097.
- Engelhardt KE, Vetter J, Wöhrmann-Zipf F, Dietzmann A, Proll FM, Reifert H, Schüll I, Stahlmann M, Ziegler M. 2023. Contact-free impacts of sessile reef organisms on stony coral productivity. Communications Earth & Environment 4:396. 10.1038/s43247-023-01052-5