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University of Queensland

DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY
ST. LUCIA, BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA, 4067

February 28, 1975

Professor G.J.V. Nossal
Post Office

Royal Melbourne Hospital
MELBOURNE, VICT. 3050

Dear Gus,

Your letter of 17th January concerning pathogenic micro-~
organisms associated with coral arrived during my absence from the
department on a research trip - hence the delay in replying to your letter.

Microorganisms associated with corals have recently
received a lot of attention from Yuri Sorokin. His prime concern has been
the extent of the involvement of bacteria in the trophodynamics of the
coral reef ecosystem but he has looked at several aspects of the association
of bacteria with corals. Two of his recent papers which come to mind are:

SOROKIN, Y. (1973). Microbiological aspects of the productivity of coral
reefs. In "Biology and Geology of Coral Reefs". Volume II, Biology I.
(ed. by O.A. Jones and R. Endean), Academic Press, New York (pp. 17-45).

SOROKIN, Y. (1973). Nature (Lond.), 242, 415,

Recent issues of the Journal of Limnology and Oceanology have carried
some of Sorokin's papers but I cannot locate the relevant issues. Incidentally,
he intends to work at our Heron Island Research Station from May to August
this year.

Apparently the only workers to have made a close study of
the Beneckea group of microorganisms in coralliferous waters are
Baumann and colleagues at Hawaii. Relevant references are:

_ Jd, Bacteriol. 113, 1144-1155 (1973) and Arch. microbiol. 94, 283+330 (1973).

One reference to the Beneckea group was apparently made by Staley and
Colwell (1973) Int. J, Systematic Bacteriology, 23, 316-332 but I have not
seen the paper.

Some ycars ago, Ian Mackerras then Director of the
Queensland Institute of Medical Research, mentioned that someone at the
Institute was working on microorganisms associated with coral cuts but I have
forgotten the details.

I trust that the above information will be of some use.
With best wishes,

Yours sincerely,

7

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R,. ENDEAN
Reader in Zaslacy