Research opportunities are available for studies to investigate factors that may influence the health condition of coral reef ecosystems. This research program focuses on linking molecular and cellular physiological changes to higher order biological effects in reef building coral species. The biological effects include both infectious disease and toxicity originating from human sources. Current strategies involve the use of toxicological, genomic and proteomic tools for evaluating cellular physiological responses to both environmental and anthropogenic stressors. Projects will involve bio-indicator research and the development of candidate markers into diagnostic and prognostic assays for assessing coral health, determining the impacts of various stressors on corals and other reef organisms, and linking stressors to sources.