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Environmental science

Germ theory for ailing corals

Nature volume 434, pages 713–715 (2005)Cite this article

Human activities damage coral reef ecosystems. Application of the ‘germ theory’, proposed more than a century ago for human diseases, could foster action on global environmental ailments such as this.

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Figure 1: Net effect — one manifestation of deleterious human impact on coral reefs.

MASA USHIODA/IMAGE QUEST

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  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, 93950, California, USA

    Stephen R. Palumbi

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  1. Stephen R. Palumbi
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Palumbi, S. Germ theory for ailing corals. Nature 434, 713–715 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/434713a

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